Eternal Victory

August 29, 2021 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

The Eternal Victory of the King

Book of Matthew Chapter 28

There is so much of this world that knows about the Lord Jesus Christ that His existence cannot be denied!

All human history has been transformed by the person of Jesus Christ!

Even the calendar was changed because of the truth of Jesus Christ.

The Roman ruler of the known world acknowledged the truth of Jesus Christ.

So we can see that the resurrection from the dead of the Lord Jesus Christ is the most important event in all of history.

It is the greatest day for all Christians and all humanity!

You cannot be a Christian and deny the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ!

The Word of God does not give Christians the option of denying the deity of Jesus Christ!

You are not a believer, if you deny the virgin birth of the Lord Jesus Christ.
You are not a believer, if you deny the true life and death of the Lord Jesus Christ.
You are not a believer, if you deny the “bodily” resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

When we say the “Good News” the “Gospel” then these are the things that should come to mind!

Verse 1

*Mat 28:1 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.

Sunday, the first day of the new week should remind all who have been “Born Again” that we cannot die. Oh, we may give up this wicked body of flesh, but our souls are bound for Heaven to be forever with our Holy God.

Sunday is the Lord’s Day!

As Saturday, some say the Sabbath, the day of rest ends, we should lift our eyes toward Heaven and on the Lord’s Day gaze upon the face of our Creator.

Sunday is the “Day of the Lord” and the day we need to worship the Living God!

It is the day to claim the Word of God for the coming week and all weeks in our future.
It is the day to show our gratitude for all the things our Lord has provided and to thank Him for all the things He has promised to provide!
It is the day to show the world we truly love the Lord.
It is a day to lift our eyes toward Heaven and just “Praise the Lord”!

It is the third day after the Lord Jesus was buried that Mary Magdalene and that other Mary, which to me means she was not the mother of Christ Jesus.

Surely the mother of our Lord would not have been described as “the other Mary”.

She may have even been the sister to the Mother of Jesus as there were many forms of the name Mary such as Miriam.

We know at the death of the Lord Jesus she was with Mary the mother of Christ.

Joh 19:25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.

It was these two Marys, that came to the tomb at the dawning of that Sunday morning.

*Mat 28:2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
Mat 28:3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:
Mat 28:4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.

As these two saints of God approached the location of the Tomb of Jesus there was suddenly an earthquake.

We should note that no one saw the Lord Jesus Christ exit from that tomb.

In fact the Lord Jesus Christ had left this tomb before any of these things occurred.

This angel had rolled away this stone that had been rolled into place by Joseph of Arimathea.

Mat 27:59 And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,
Mat 27:60 And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.

We must never think that this angel removed the stone for the Lord Jesus to exit the tomb. He removed the stone so these women and any others could look into the tomb and see that Jesus was no longer there.

There had been at least four soldiers guarding the tomb of Jesus from the moment He was buried, and it can be said that these hardened soldiers became so afraid that they passed out.

Mat 27:63 Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.
Mat 27:64 Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.
Mat 27:65 Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can.
Mat 27:66 So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.

This also should give us some idea of how we may react when we first see the Lord face to face.

Every precaution was taken to ensure that no one came to remove the body of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Our Savior did not need any help to leave that tomb!

Joh 10:17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.

We should also understand that these guards, once they awoke, were also afraid for their own safety.

This tomb was like a jail in the sense that a guard could be executed for allowing a prisoner to escape, especially one whom the government had taken such precautions.

We should understand that the power of God is awesome, but it can also be terrifying.

These guards witnessed things that were unbelievable, and they did not know what to do.

Remember these were hardened soldiers who had been through many of the wars of Rome.

They became so afraid of their lives they went to the Chief Priest rather than their own commanders.

For these women, they did not know what to think, seeing all these things. Their only concern was for our Savior.

This is also a great lesson for us.

No matter what is going on in this world, we must stay focused upon our Savior!

This angel answered because he understood the conversation that was taking place between these women.

*Mat 28:5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.
Mat 28:6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

We can be sure that these believers were afraid just as any of us would have been.

This angel calmed their fears by saying “I know you are seeking Jesus”.

The same Jesus who was crucified because there is only one Jesus Christ.

It is this one event that brought recognition to Christianity even though it is still being denied.

These women saw a real angel and maybe two according to the Book of Luke.

Luk 24:3 And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.
Luk 24:4 And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:
Luk 24:5 And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?

It is possible that there were even more angels about the tomb only showing their selves to converse with those who came.

These angels appeared as men and nowhere in the Bible do, we see women mentioned as angels.

Angels are the messengers of God!

These women had no reason to fear because they came because they loved the Lord!

Mat 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
Mat 7:8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

The Lord Jesus Christ gave Himself to be crucified for all mankind, but it is important that we believe this!

2Co 5:14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:
2Co 5:15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
2Co 5:16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.
2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Knowing these women still had doubts these angels said come and see.

Much of the world had an opportunity to see the truth of the Lord, but the Lord Jesus said we need to have “faith”.

They also told these two Marys to tell His disciples that the Lord Jesus had risen from His death and was going to Galilee just as Jesus had told them.

As they hurried to tell the disciples they met the Lord Jesus Christ who called out to them.

We can read about this thing in the four Gospels, and we can believe them all as the truth.

We should note that the Lord Jesus used the phrase “my brethren” even at this time.

The one thing we know for sure about these things is that this tomb is still empty, it was only needed for three days.

When those guards awoken, they feared for their lives so much so they reported to the Chief Priests rather than their own commanders, for they would have been put to death!

They may have even taken the money they were given and left Israel.

*Mat 28:11 Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done.
Mat 28:12 And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers,
Mat 28:13 Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept.
Mat 28:14 And if this come to the governor’s ears, we will persuade him, and secure you.
Mat 28:15 So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.

1) We should understand that there is no excuse for trained soldiers to fall asleep on guard duty.

There were enough of them that they could sleep in shifts.

This thing would be under the penalty of death for a Roman soldier to do such a thing.

2) The followers of Jesus Christ had no motive to steal the body of Jesus Christ.

The things that He had said He would do could only occur if He was in that tomb.

The disciples never made such a plan to kidnap the body of Christ.

What could they have possibly done with the body of Christ if they did possess it?

3) We should understand that the theft of the body of Christ would have been a Capital Crime punishable by death because the tomb had been sealed with the seal of Pilate and that of Rome.

None of the disciples were ever brought to trial nor arrested.

4) These soldiers realizing these things went to the only place that might save them from death.

They realized they may have seen an act of God.

They were very familiar with the false gods of Rome who were said to have such powers.

5) They were certain that no one would believe what had happened to be the truth.

So we see the Chief Priests and the Elders of Israel sough to discredit these things the soldiers reported.

It seems that money still works to buy a new story or to create lies.

What we need to understand is that the truth will always prevail.

Pro 12:19 The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment.
Pro 12:20 Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil: but to the counsellors of peace is joy.

Treachery had been used to arrest the Lord Jesus Christ.
An illegal court had tried Him.
False charges had been brought against Him before Pilate.
Now bribery was being used to discredit the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

As believers we know that the truth will always prevail.

Joh 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

We know many things the disciples did from the other three Gospels, but we now read where the disciples went to Galilee just as the Lord Jesus instructed.

*Mat 28:16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.
Mat 28:17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.

We see that Matthew closes out what the Holy Spirit gave to him with the command to all Christians.

To Matthew the Lord Jesus Christ was the Son of David as prophesied and the soon coming King of Israel and King of all the world.

Mat 1:1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Mat 5:35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.

Now Matthew writes that the Lord Jesus is risen just as He had said.

Now in the power of the resurrection, we are all to go forth proclaiming the Lord Jesus and His eternal kingdom.

The eleven disciples traveled to Galilee to meet their Savior as He had instructed but some still had doubts that Jesus would be there.

We can trust what the Lord tells us because He would never lie to us!

We have appointed places where we are to meet the Lord and we should never doubt that He will be there!

1) We will meet Jesus in our worship if it is in Spirit and Truth.

Joh 4:23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

Our worship is not where we go, our worship is where Jesus is at, and He is only in places that preach the truth!

Mat 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

2) We will meet Jesus in our Bible study.

Joh 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

3) We will meet Jesus in our prayers.

Joh 14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
Joh 14:14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

4) We will meet Jesus in our devotions.

There is a good chance that not just the eleven disciples met the Lord Jesus at Galilee.

1Co 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
1Co 15:2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
1Co 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
1Co 15:4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
1Co 15:5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
1Co 15:6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
1Co 15:7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.
1Co 15:8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

We should be able to say that more than 500 people, some believing and some in doubt until they saw Him, if we need more proof of the Resurrection Messiah.

The Lord Jesus is real, and He is our Savior and He will return as the King of this world!

If you want to remove your doubts just go and visit the Lord Jesus Christ and you will find Him.

Act 17:27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

Though many still doubt, believers know that the Lord Jesus Christ has the power of God because He is God!

*Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

The Lord Jesus has the power of God for one main reason, to save those who are lost.

Php 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Php 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
Php 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
Php 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

To those who reject the Lord Jesus Christ, you should know that you will still bow to Him.

His authority is over all the known universe and all the invisible creation.

He is the Lord of the angelic host.

Isa 2:12 For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low:

The Lord Jesus Christ will rule this world for 1000 years!

Rev 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

The most important thing to the believer is His power to forgive sins.

Joh 5:22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:

Joh 5:27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

There is no one or nothing that has more power than the One True God!

The power of the Lord Jesus Christ gives us confidence that our sin has been forgiven and we have that personal relationship with our Creator.

He asks only one thing of us.

*Mat 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Mat 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Some mistake this as a commandment only to Pastors and Preachers and other such men but this commission is for every believer!

There is no more important Scripture in all the New Testament!

As believers we are to replicate ourselves.

We are to go each of us to make disciples who will then go forth themselves in a continuous fashion.

The Church is set forth as a place to worship the Messiah.

The next phase of the Church is to make disciples.

Any other business of the Church comes after these two things have their priorities in place.

Feeding, clothing, and helping others beyond the teaching of the “Gospel” should never be undertaken until these commandments of the Lord are working as commanded!

The Lord Jesus Christ came to seek and to save and He gave His life to accomplish these things.

What did He teach us?

Mat 10:38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

Mat 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Teach the “Gospel” no matter where we are located understanding that wherever God has placed us is our mission field.

Baptizing is just making a public confession of our faith, but our Lord Jesus was baptized, and we should follow in His ways.

We must know that God is a Holy Trinity that cannot be denied.

The Lord Jesus says, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost (Spirit) which is Jehovah God the Great “I Am” of the Bible.

After our salvation we are to follow as best we can in all the things of Jesus Christ.

To ignore these things is to reject the truth of the Messiah!

What the Lord Jesus Christ did must be studied and studied to the point of learning so we can teach others.

The things that the Lord Jesus Christ taught should rule in our life and our societies today.

Our world has reached this point of wickedness because the Lord Jesus Christ has been rejected!

We must understand we are never alone; the Lord Jesus is with us forever, even here on this earth and forever with us when he takes us home to a place prepared for us!

Amen

The Debt of Sin is Paid

August 14, 2021 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

The King Paid the Debt of Sin

Book of Matthew Chapter 27 Verses 26-31, 39-44, 46-50

Just so we know, for Jesus Christ to be crucified, He was nailed to the cross as it lay flat on the ground.

Each hand was extended, and stretched as far as they could be stretched.

Both feet were pulled together and stretched and one nail through both feet.

The cross was then raised up and thrust into the hole that was prepared with a violent shock, with the intent of causing the joints of the body to become dislocated.

The whole weight of the body hung upon those three nails.

The pain was tremendous and lasted until death, which in most cases was not very long.

In mockery, a mixture of true wine and gall was offered to help with the pain, but the death was real.

This type of punishment was used only by the Romans, and only upon slaves and the vilest of criminals!

The Lord Jesus Christ was tried for treason against the Roman government, and even Pilate knew He was innocent of this crime.

Barabbas was found to be guilty of sedition and murder and kept in prison to be crucified on the day that Jesus took his place.

A great lesson it itself and a great type in the Bible.

The Lord Jesus Christ died for the vilest of sinners!

The guilty was set free, while the innocent was slaughtered upon a cruel Roman cross.

*Mat 27:26 Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.

Barabbas was guilty of all charges brought against him and was guilty of much more that was not known.

The purpose of the scourge was to weaken the body of that person, who would then be crucified so that they would not live through the next day.

In fact, hundreds of them did not live through the scourging.

The Roman scourge was not an ordinary whip, but had at least eight leather thongs added to it and they loaded with lead and armed with sharp bones and spikes.

Every blow cut deeply into the flesh causing intense pain.

Our Savior was stripped of His clothes and wrapped around a pillar and His back suffered tremendously.

Isa 50:5 The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.
Isa 50:6 I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.
Isa 50:7 For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.
Isa 50:8 He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? let us stand together: who is mine adversary? let him come near to me.
Isa 50:9 Behold, the Lord GOD will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up.

It is after this that the soldiers took Jesus into their own common hall and mocked Him.

*Mat 27:27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers.
Mat 27:28 And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.

We now see Our Lord Jesus in the hands of cruel wicked Roman soldiers.

We see Satanic hatred of the Messiah.

Scarlet colored robes were worn by superior officers and this robe may even have been a worn by Pilate.

Such a robe would have been cherished by his private guards.

After these Roman soldiers had their mockery of the Lord Jesus Christ, He was sent to Herod where Herod’s soldiers would not be out done by the Roman soldiers.

Here the Lord wore a purple robe. Those in power of the Jews and their soldiers clothing had to be distinguishable so there would be no confusion of the people.

Then Herod’s soldiers place on our Lord Jesus a purple robe of the type kings wore.

Luk 23:11 And Herod with his men of war set him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and sent him again to Pilate.

Joh 19:5 Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man!

The robes of Christ Jesus are a great Bible study!

Add this one:

Rev 19:13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

Rev 19:16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

This is the robe our Lord Jesus will wear when He returns to “Judge” this world!

Just a robe was not enough to satisfy these wicked Satan inspired men.

*Mat 27:29 And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!
Mat 27:30 And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.
Mat 27:31 And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.

Mockery is a shameful act for anyone to take part in.

The Lord Jesus had already said he had not come to be the King of this world and at this time He was certainly no rival to Caesar as these things are still in our future.

A crown of thorns was a painful thing, but we can be aware that when the Lord Jesus sees us now, He sees us through the blood that poured from His head down to His eyes.

Heb_9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

When the Lord Jesus Christ returns, He will be much more than just King of the Jews!

Then these cruel men took it upon themselves to beat the Lord Jesus on His face and spit upon Him.

To a Jew being spit upon was a matter of great reproach.

This gives us an idea of how the Roman government felt about the Jews and much of the world today still feel this way.

Our Lord Jesus never said a word.

Isa 50:6 I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.

It was only after all these things that our Lord Jesus was sent to that cruel cross.

*Mat 27:39 And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,
Mat 27:40 And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.

You know, the mockery of the Lord Jesus Christ did not cease at His death, it is alive and well today.

Today you cannot bash the so-called transgender people.
You cannot bash the so-called gay movement.
You cannot bash the BLM movement.
You cannot bash Antifa.
You cannot bash the abortion industry.
But the bashing of the Christian is allowed and even encouraged!

So be it, bash me if you will, just remember the Word of God is the truth and the truth will always be the truth!

Prophecy reads:

Psa 22:6 But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.
Psa 22:7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,

Golgotha was near a road that saw much traffic, and passersby were numerous without counting those who just wanted to see our Lord suffer.

The fact remains that most of those who passed by did not know why the Lord Jesus Christ was even crucified, and just trusted the government that He was guilty of something when He was totally innocent.

We cannot always trust what our government is doing to be the right thing to do, especially today!

We can trust that all those mocked the Lord are now wishing they had not!

Psa 109:25 I became also a reproach unto them: when they looked upon me they shaked their heads.

As far as power goes, the Lord Jesus Christ could have saved Himself at any time.

As far as prophecy goes, the Lord Jesus Christ was committed to saving my soul and the soul of every believer.

Jesus Christ seemed to have failed in His mission.

Satan was feeling great confidence.

The Jews, the hypocritical religious leaders, were now confident they would keep Rome’s affection.

God was laughing at these foolish people.

The Lord Jesus Christ was carrying the sin of the world to Hell where it belonged, and Satan will one day soon join that sin and burn with it!

The Lord Jesus Christ claimed a great success!

His purpose for coming to this earth was being fulfilled and in about 40 days, the Church would be born with 11 disciples and 109 Jews who loved the Lord enough to serve Him.

The enemies of the Church mistook a minor victory, in their view, for a complete and total failure!

Jehovah God cannot be defeated!

You see the enemies of the Church were never satisfied with the death of Jesus Christ, they were filled with hatred and revenge and abuse, when true criminals were not even noticed.

We can see that these things have not changed today!

The Lord Jesus Christ had not claimed to be King, He will upon His return!

He did claimed to be the Son of God and He had proved that over and over again with the miracles and the other things He had accomplished and when He rose from the dead, He set this world on fire with the “gospel”!

Remember the Lord Jesus had fulfilled every prophecy that had been written of the Messiah up until the day of His death and He will fulfill all the Bible written about Him because all the Bible is written about our Messiah and King.

*Mat 27:41 Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,
Mat 27:42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.
Mat 27:43 He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.

First, we would think that men of such high office whether they be religious or government officials, would be above this sort of behavior, but it is not surprising as it still goes on today even more so.

Our own government leaders have sunk to new lows. It makes me wonder how in the world they were elected in the first place.

We must remember that being a part of the unbelieving crowd, they seem to lust after shameful things.

The Lord Jesus Christ is our Savior!
The Lord Jesus Christ will return as King of this world and even now is our Spiritual King!
The Lord Jesus Christ was that 100% Son of Man, and He did trust God perfectly!
The Lord Jesus Christ above all is the Son of God!

These foolish men could not humiliate the Lord Jesus, He had already accepted how He would be treated and asked our Heavenly Father to forgive them.

Luk_23:34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

It was God who hung upon that Cross and He had fulfilled what He came to do.

1Ti 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
1Ti 1:16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
1Ti 1:17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

The Lord Jesus Christ was all He claimed to be!

He was the Savior!
He was the King!
He was the Son of Man!
He is the Son of God!

All these who hated the Lord Jesus were just foolish men with no power at all.

They were just doing that the Lord knew they would do, just as today.

The rulers of this world are doing exactly what the Lord knew they would do.

In their ignorance they are doing what God expects them to do.

They only difference is that our Savior has given them all room to repent!

Joh 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Joh 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

If the wicked men and women of this world think they are a challenge to the almighty God, they are thinking far above their knowledge and just fueled by Satan’s hatred!

If the Lord Jesus Christ had used the power that He did have to save Himself, we would still be lost in our sin!

“Elected officials who walk with the lawless and the wicked” just show that their morals are non-existent, and they are not worthy to hold public office.

This would also include religious officials who stand with those who oppose the Word of God. They are just servants of Satan!

The criminals on each side of the Lord joined in at this time, but one would repent later.

*Mat 27:44 The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.

What we witness once a mob gets started, people will just join in not even understanding what is happening.

These two criminals had never met the Lord Jesus Christ until this moment when He was crucified with them.

Mat 27:38 Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.

One of those thieves realized that Christ Jesus was innocent.

Luk 23:39 And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
Luk 23:40 But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
Luk 23:41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
Luk 23:42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
Luk 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.

You see just realizing the truth of the Lord takes the pain of death away!

Without a Baptism and with a simple plea of faith this one thief became a saint of God!

As death came unto the Lord, even God’s creation began to mourn!

*Mat 27:45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.
Mat 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

We sometimes get confused with Jewish timekeeping, but it is really not that hard.

We what had the Lord said?

Joh 11:9 Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.

Mat 20:3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
Mat 20:4 And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.
Mat 20:5 Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.

The time of reckoning always began at six in the morning so to the Jew the seventh hour was then the first hour.

The sixth hour would then be noon.

When the Sun was the highest darkness came upon Jerusalem and the darkness remained until three o’clock in the afternoon.

This was a terrifying darkness not like a solar eclipse.

It was sudden and it was real!

Our Lord Jesus had taken all the darkness of sin upon Himself, and He would be the payment for all that sin as a Holy God required a blood sacrifice.

Heb_9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

It was at this point when our Savior cried out knowing that He had been forsaken for the first and the only time.

God’s only begotten Son, the Sovereign Lord of all beings, both visible and invisible was at the point of a real physical death!

Col 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
Col 1:14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
Col 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
Col 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
Col 1:17 And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

It is easy to say the Lord Jesus was bearing all our sins and the sin of all humanity, but He was also bearing the wrath of God that was against us!

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

You see this is the gift that we so easily take for granted!

Jesus Christ was dying my death and the death for all humanity! This is only affective for those who believe the Lord did this thing!

The Lord Jesus Christ was doing all that was necessary to free all humanity from the penalty of sin, the death of sin, and the judgment of sin so that we may live forever.

This is the free gift we have been given!

Rom 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
Rom 11:34 For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
Rom 11:35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?
Rom 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

The Apostle Paul was a great preacher because he understood all these things and has passed this things on to us.

Those that stood by watching for His death never understood what the Word of God was teaching them.

*Mat 27:47 Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias.
Mat 27:48 And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.

Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?

Psa 22:1 My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Again, we see that these who caused the Lord Jesus to be crucified, did not know the Scriptures.

All through His time upon this earth Jesus was called the son of David because, by inheritance Jesus was in-line to the throne of Judah.

Psalm 22 was a Psalm of David.

Almost every one of us have reached a point in our lives when we thought we were forsaken.

The Lord Jesus Christ was standing in His Father’s Judgment Seat and facing the wrath of God because He bore the sin of the world.

God, in the Hebrew, El, is pronounced Ale.

The Lord Jesus was definitely calling out to Jehovah God!

The Lord Jesus was not calling out to Elijah!

These people had their theology so messed up they had missed the Messiah.

Earlier the Lord Jesus was offered vinegar mixed with gall and He had refused to drink it.

Mat 27:34 They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.

At this time Jesus was offered vinegar.

Roman soldiers that travel from nation to nation could not take of the water from place to place no more than we can today until our bodies have had time to adjust.

Vinegar is the last stage of the grape juice when it is sour and when mixed with water it allowed the soldier to stay healthy without the effects of the water alone.

This time the Lord Jesus accepted this drink.

His task was over. He had given His life for my sin and for your sin!

*Mat 27:49 The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him.
Mat 27:50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, “yielded up the ghost”.

“It was finished”

Mar 15:37 And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and “gave up the ghost”.

Luk 23:46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost”.

Joh 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, “It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost”.

You can read all four of these Scriptures and you will see that this is something that we cannot do.

Oh, we can commit suicide, but we cannot give up our soul at death.

God takes our soul because it returns to Him to do with it as He pleases.

This is why it is so important to have our name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life!

The Lord Jesus Christ held the power to His own death.

Joh 10:17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
Joh 10:18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

This power only the Lord Jesus has!

Rev_3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

Rev_20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Rev_22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

The Lord Jesus gave up His Spirit!

The Lord Jesus Christ willingly died for me and for you!

What did the Lord Jesus do after His death upon the Cross?

1Pe 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
1Pe 3:19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
1Pe 3:20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

After His death.

Eph 4:8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
Eph 4:9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
Eph 4:10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

The Lord Jesus Christ died so that we can live!

Amen

A Savior Determined to Save

August 8, 2021 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

The Betrayal and Trial of the King

Chapter 26 Verse 47 through verse 75

We must never forget why Our Lord Jesus laid aside His glory and came to this earth!

Mat 20:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Our Savior never deviated from this task!

Nothing happened to our Savior that He was not in full control of and that He did not allow to happen to Him!

No one took the life of Jesus, He laid down His life Himself!

Our Lord Jesus was betrayed by His friend, but Jesus knew this was going to happen all along!

*Mat 26:47 And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people.

What will sound tragic to us in this passage, is actually God in control from start to finish.

We will see Our Lord Jesus betrayed, arrested, tried, and deserted within just a short period of time.

Our Lord Jesus, falsely accused, was falsely arrested, had a false trial, and sentenced to a real death.

Jesus was deserted by His closest friends and forsaken by His Heavenly Father for a short period of time.

What do we see? We will see a Savior, determined to save those He loved and all the unlovable, such a I.

What is reality? Sin is mighty, but it cannot make God cease to love us!

There is nothing we do that can make God love us less!

We know a good bit about Peter and his ways, so we can just imagine Peter as he is awakened from his sleep to see Judas leading the enemies of Jesus Christ.

As a soldier, I have a hard time forgiving traitors, such as John Kerry and Jane Fonda and some others.

They may have wondered where Judas was all this time, but they now knew.

All these arrangements had been made so that it would have been impossible for our Lord Jesus to escape.

These people never understood the power of God nor do so many today!

These things were allowed because of that power of God!

We can see that Judas even walked a little in front of the crowd trying to hide his wickedness.

Luk 22:47 And while he yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him.

We cannot hide our feelings about the Lord Jesus Christ!

Luk 22:48 But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?

Jesus was betrayed by an act of love.

*Mat 26:48 Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast.
Mat 26:49 And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him.

We should think of nothing strange about this kiss. It was the means of greeting in the oriental world.

Its value was somewhat like the handshake of our culture.

Remember a day, when a handshake was more binding than any legal document!

Makes us think that if Our Lord Jesus returned today and He could, how most of those who professed Him, would then reject Him?

Jesus could not preach in many modern day Churches.

Jesus would be shunned for His stance on sin!

How most would betray Him today?

We should ask ourselves this question. Would I betray my only Savior?

We can see that Judas had planned this betrayal very well.

It was dark except for torches.

Those behind him did not know the Lord Jesus by site so we can see the reason for the deception of Judas.

We can see in typology, this is the way of those who claim Jesus but are hypocrites!

They serve their own self-interest!

When we plan and plot to sin, we are just deceivers and the worst of sinners!

The plan to sin is bad, but the deception is even worse.

Those who will deceive the Lord Jesus Christ have no problem at all in deceiving others!

These are the type of people who make up our government today!

Jesus never showed any hatred even when He knew what Judas was doing!

*Mat 26:50 And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.

The Lord Jesus Christ still loves the unlovable!

Judas had to search his heart to answer this question! Just why had he done this terrible deed?

It was Judas’ last chance to think about what he had done and repent, but he could not find it in his heart to repent even though he did have great regret for what he had done.

You see feeling sorry is never enough, we must repent.

To repent is a complete change of mind and a complete change of direction and Judas never found the peace for his soul again and he committed suicide.

When we approach the Lord Jesus Christ, we must recognize that we are sinners in need of forgiveness!

We are fools to reject the Divine love of God He has shown to us by His Son!

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

It was the fiery darts of the Devil that the Lord Jesus felt on the side of His cheeks!

Then, just before Jesus felt the cruel hands of His enemies, Peter still groggy from his sleep drew out his sword.

*Mat 26:51 And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest’s, and smote off his ear.

We know it was Peter according to the Book of John.

Joh 18:10 Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus.
Joh 18:11 Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?

It is said by some that Peter almost messed everything up in the plan of God for His Son.

If we believe this, then we would have to believe that our Lord Jesus was not in control of this scene.

We must understand that there is never a time that God is not in complete control of the things that happen in this world!

We may not understand why bad things happen to good Christian people, but we must agree that these things were allowed for God’s purpose.

Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

There was a purpose behind what Peter did, and a purpose for why the Lord Jesus restored this man’s ear to full use.

We can certainly believe that Malchus had a whole new outlook on this man called Jesus!

The Lord Jesus did not need anyone’s help to fulfill the will of God for Him!

Jesus had already committed Himself to the Cross and nothing could change that!

They first took Jesus to Caiaphas who was the true High Priest at this time, but let’s just say he followed the lead of his predecessor.

*Mat 26:57 And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.

The first thing we should notice is that these wicked men were already gathered together to try Our Lord Jesus.

When we study the Scriptures, we will find that Annas, the earlier High Priest and the father-in-law of Caiaphas, still controlled all sacred matters of the priesthood and the High Priests for the next several years would all be from this same wicked family.

We know that this wicked man had predetermined that Christ Jesus must be put to death for the benefit of the nation of Israel.

Joh 11:49 And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all,
Joh 11:50 Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.
Joh 11:51 And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;
Joh 11:52 And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.

The Lord Jesus Christ had been opposed and rejected by these wicked men all the days of His ministry!

You just like today, these men felt that they were stronger than God and therefore they opposed the Word of God!

The Lord Jesus would be officially condemned to die by the highest court in Israel!

In America this court would be the equivalent to our Supreme Court.

Our Lord Jesus was captured and was led to trial, and it was these, who hated Him so much because He preached the truth, would judge Him.

In fact, they had already judged Him and found Him guilty of apostacy, which according to Jewish Law was punishable with death but by Roman Law these Jews could not sentence Jesus to death nor any man though we know they still stoned some who broke those laws.

They would then accuse Jesus of insurrection against the Roman government which was also punishable by death by Roman Law.

They accused Jesus of saying He was God when Caesar claimed to be God.

Again we see Peter, but he is not following very close to Jesus.

*Mat 26:58 But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest’s palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end.

This is the same problem with many, so-called Christians, they refuse to closely follow the Lord Jesus Christ!

All the disciples were confused because they had not understood all the things of the Messiah.

Peter knew somewhat the power that the Lord Jesus had, surely, He could escape this thing if He so chose to do so.

But there is great danger in following the Lord Jesus from a distance.

All these disciples had fled just as prophesied:

Mar_14:27 And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.

Peter was caught between his loyalty to our Lord and fear for his own self.

His fear would lead him to sin!

We probably see more of this sort today than any other day in history.

Good Christians want to stand up for the Word of God, but when ridicule comes from the other side, they cower down in defeat rather than take a stand on the Word of God!

Peter just did not understand the truth of the Bible!

We say it all the time, but ignorance of the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ, will bring defeat into our lives!

Jesus had done nothing wrong against any Jew nor any Roman and had broken no laws at all!

Peter began to hang around with the wrong crowd!

If the government could just find someone to bring false witness against Jesus, it would make things better for His enemies.

*Mat 26:59 Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death;

Have you noticed lately that factions of our own government do this same sort of thing!

They bring false witnesses against good people to slander and ruin their names!

Politicians have become cruel and ruthless in their lust for power! In fact leaning toward Communism where these things go on all the time.

People will do anything for money or prestige or power, in our corrupt government!

We can just imagine the faces of these foolish men as Our Lord Jesus is brought before them and then, they suddenly realized they had no proof of their accusations.

They hated and despised the Lord Jesus Christ too much for this to remain an obstacle!

This is what hatred causes!

The Lord Jesus had done no evil at all!

As always, we will find someone who will twist His words to another meaning.

Our so-called news sources do this every day!

Jesus had asked this question.

Joh_8:46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?

There was no answer then, and there was no answer now!

We should be able to see this court was not assembled to find Jesus guilty, they had already decided that our Savior was guilty in need if death.

This court was assembled to gather enough proof against Him to get the Romans to kill Him!

It is hard to do that with someone so innocent!

What was wrong with these foolish men?

They loved this world more than they loved God!

They knew well that Christ could not be condemned with true testimony, because there was none!

Then, they tried to put together a false witness.

If they had meant to deal fairly, they would have allowed some who knew him to speak in his favor, but this was the very last thing they wanted, or would have sanctioned.

So they found no true witnesses!

So they found those who were willing to lie, but even they were useless because their witness did not agree.

*Mat 26:60 But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses,
Mat 26:61 And said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.

You see you cannot find faults in what is perfect!

Lies will always fail against the truth!

There will always be those who will distort the Word of God!

Many of them just take what the Lord says out of the context of which He intended!

We see this many times in politicians and just recently with our president and his vice-president.

Of all the enemies of our Lord Jesus, nothing could be found that would condemn Him to death.

This is why we are taught to watch what comes out of our mouths.

Tit 2:8 Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.

Then our enemies will find fault in our God!

Remember Daniel:

Dan 6:4 Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.
Dan 6:5 Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.

We must remember, these wicked men needed evidence to convince the Roman authorities that the Lord Jesus needed to be put to death, but they never got it!

*Mat 26:62 And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?
Mat 26:63 But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.

There was no need for the Lord to answer to these accusations because there were none!

Those two false witnesses could not even agree on what the Lord had said.

This is the best reason to have in your possession a Bible copied from the original Greek and Hebrew Scriptures and why I use the KJV Bible.

Silence is always the best reply to slander!

They wanted our Savior to respond to these false accusations hoping He would give them more evidence.

Now we would do such a thing and then get mad and maybe say some things could be said to cause us harm, but doing things the Jesus way is always the best.

People that hate us do not deserve any response from us!

Now a question is asked that can be responded to.

*Mat 26:64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
Mat 26:65 Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy.

Was Jesus the Messiah?

You see, if Our Savior did not claim to be the Messiah, then the case against Him had no real meaning at all.

The Lord Jesus in a sense had to respond with a positive answer to this question, in order for the death penalty to be given!

If Jesus was truly the Messiah, then according to the Scriptures, He was also King of the Jews, and these things could be used against Him though it was not the time for these things as the Lord Jesus said.

Jesus said after these things meaning, after this false trial and His death.

Then, He would sit at the right hand of God, because He is the right hand of God, and He would one day come in the clouds to get His Church.

You see, it is the death, the burial, and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ that is the foundation of the Church and after a time of sitting at the throne of His Father, Jesus would come in the clouds to take His Church out of this world.

Only after these things would Jesus return as King!

The Lord Jesus spoke the truth and non-believers called this truth blasphemy.

The truth will always be the truth and the truth cannot change!

This was the good confession later written about Him!

1Ti_6:13 I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession;

The Lord Jesus did never explain His answer.
The Lord Jesus did never change His answer.
The Lord Jesus did never retract His answer.

All those that were there heard what the Lord Jesus had said!

They knew these things were true, they still rejected the man who sat before them.

Dan 7:13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.
Dan 7:14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

Notice the Lord Jesus only tells the first part of the Scripture from the Book of Daniel.

Once our Lord meets His Church in the clouds, the Church will begin a seven year honey moon with Him while Tribulation and the Great Tribulation will be happening on this earth.

Once Jesus said these words, then by Jewish Law, blasphemy could be a sentence of death.

Blasphemy is the speaking evil of our Holy God!

Lev 24:16 And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the LORD, shall be put to death.

Though the Lord Jesus spoke the truth, He knew they would not believe Him, but His death on the cross required this truth!

People just do not accept the truth of the Bible, the Word of God.

*Mat 26:66 What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death.

This is the only thing that was used to sentence the Lord to death!

Joh 19:7 The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.

We might understand that the High Priest was also subject to death for what he had done by those same laws of Moses.

Lev 10:6 And Moses said unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons, Uncover not your heads, neither rend your clothes; lest ye die, and lest wrath come upon all the people: but let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the LORD hath kindled.

Lev 21:10 And he that is the high priest among his brethren, upon whose head the anointing oil was poured, and that is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not uncover his head, nor rend his clothes;
Lev 21:11 Neither shall he go in to any dead body, nor defile himself for his father, or for his mother;
Lev 21:12 Neither shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him: I am the LORD.

Who was the guiltiest by Jewish Law? It was the High Priest for the Lord Jesus spoke the truth!

Let’s not forget Peter.

Remember a boastful Peter was told that he would deny the Lord.

Luk_22:34 And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.
Luk_22:61 And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.

*Mat 26:69 Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee.
Mat 26:70 But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest.
Mat 26:71 And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth.
Mat 26:72 And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man.
Mat 26:73 And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee.
Mat 26:74 Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.
Mat 26:75 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.

We must understand that denying the Lord Jesus Christ is a very serious thing to do.

It is a terrible sin, but even this sin can be forgiven if asked during this lifetime.

What we see is that a man, Peter, who had confessed undying loyalty to our Savior, ended up denying our Lord three times just as the Lord had said.

The Lord Jesus Christ knows us better than we know ourselves!

We see the cause of Peter’s denial, Peter was hanging around with the wrong crowd. A crowd where they hated the Lord Jesus Christ.

Peter had fled when the Lord Jesus gave Himself over to that mob that came for Him.

The Lord Jesus wanted His disciples to escape safely.

In typology, Peter was following the Lord Jesus, but he was following from too great distance.

In reality, the Lord Jesus wants a close and personal relationship with all His disciples!

We cannot say we are following Christ if we are following afar off!

What did Peter learn from his mistakes?

1Pe 4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
1Pe 4:14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
1Pe 4:15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters.
1Pe 4:16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.

We absolutely must leave our old life behind and this means to not socialize with those who do not believe the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ!

We are to witness to them, but not socialize with them!

We can be friends with them, but we are not to socialize with them!

We must never fall into the trap of too much self-confidence!

Peter had said He would lay down his life for the Lord Jesus, but he found that he was afraid for his own life.

In this incident, weaknesses Peter did not know he had, came to the surface.

Even after claiming the truth of Jesus Christ and being “Born Again” into the family of God, we must know that we are just sinners saved by the “Grace” of God.

As long as we are in these bodies of flesh we will war with our flesh.

The Lord will still forgive us of our sin!

Now, if we deliberately sin trying to take advantage of God’s “Grace”, then we cannot truly say we are saved.

Rom 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
Rom 6:2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

We may not know exactly what “God forbids” but it cannot be righteousness!

Like Peter, before we can be effective witnesses, then we need to know our own weaknesses!

Our confidence cannot be in ourselves, our confidence must be in our Lord Jesus Christ!

2Co_3:5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;

We must mortify the actions of our flesh!

Mortify means just like it sounds, we must put to death all the sinful actions of our flesh!

Rom_8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

Col_3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

What saved Peter?

The fact that the Lord Jesus prayed for Him just as He prays for each of us.

Luk 22:31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:

Luk_22:32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

We can do nothing without the Lord Jesus Christ!

Amen

Obedient To the Will of God

August 1, 2021 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Jesus’ Great Decision as King

Book of Matthew Chapter 26:36-46

We have been studying our Lord Jesus in His final week before a very cruel cross.

The Lord Jesus, 100% God yet 100% man knew what He faced.

He faced betrayal by one of His disciples.
He faced a false trial by religious hypocrites.
He faced physical abuse much, much more than necessary by tyrannical governments.
He faced a humiliating death by crucifixion.
He faced the burden of carrying the weight of every sin that had been committed and every sin that would be committed in all this world.

This death for Christ Jesus was different from that of any natural man.

Our Lord Jesus accepted the verdict of guilty for my sin and your sin and all sinners.
Our Lord Jesus accepted the penalty and punishment for my sin and for your sin and for all sinners.

By doing these things for me and for you and for every believer, we can now have eternal life!

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

We should ask ourselves just what is death?

Physical death is a reality for every member of the human race!

Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
Heb 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

When the Bible speaks of death, it is speaking of the death of the physical body, but it is not speaking of the soul.

The soul is the life-principle of man and cannot die because it is God-given.

The body is made of things of this world.

Gen 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

The soul is made by God Himself and only God can destroy the soul.

Mat 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Death of the body is the wages of sin, but this death is not an annihilation because life continues for the believer and for the unbeliever after the death of the body!

Luk 16:22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
Luk 16:23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

For the believer death means to join Jesus Christ in Heaven.

2Co 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)
2Co 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
2Co 5:9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him.

With all these things on the mind of Christ, He resorted to prayer to His Heavenly Father.

Let us begin:

*Mat 26:36 Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.
Mat 26:37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.

What is prayer? Prayer is a conversation with our Holy God who is also our Heavenly Father, who wants very much to hear from His children!

Many of us believe that all the disciples were there except Judas who had begun his betrayal.

The Lord Jesus had ridden into Jerusalem only as the Spiritual King and not as conquering king, and Judas now knew that Jesus was not going to raise an army to defeat Rome and he therefore rejected Him.

Our Lord Jesus, the human side wanted desperately to talk to His Heavenly Father.

I know I have been this way many times.

I know that many times I have had to fight my shame in talking to my Heavenly Father, but I have always felt better after I have prayed.

Many things were on the heart of our Lord but quitting was not one of them!

The Lord Jesus wanted His disciples to feel that closeness of a Father in Heaven who is still the Almighty God.

Certainly our Lord Jesus was afflicted.
Certainly He suffered.

What we need to understand.

We were guilty if sin with no way out of the wages of death! Jesus Christ willed our forgiveness.
We were enslaved to Satan with no way to escape! Jesus Christ willed our freedom.
We were sorrowful! Jesus Christ willed our peace.
We were dying! Jesus Christ willed us life for ever.

What was Jesus praying about? Father thy will be done as it is Heaven, and the requirement was a blood sacrifice.

Heb 9:26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Our Lord Jesus entered into His closet at the Garden of Gethsemane. He wanted His disciples to pray for His strength to battle with Satan.

This the same thing we do, when we pray for our Pastor.

He asked some of us to pray during the preaching and this is what we should praying strength to battle the Devil.

Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

These things weighed heavy on our Savior, but He had no intention of quitting.

He just wished He did not have to break fellowship with His Father not even for one moment.

*Mat 26:38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.

Say where is that proof?

In every prayer the Lord spoke to His Father, but once He took upon Himself all the sin of the world, just for a moment, His Father could not look upon sin and Our Lord Jesus bore all our sin!

Mar 15:34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Once that sin was in the grave and then in Hell, His fellowship was restored to His Father!

These disciples just did not understand Satan was trying his best to keep the Lord from going to that miserable cross.

Some would ask what difference would it make, if Jesus came to die?

Our Lord Jesus tried to explain this to them earlier:

Joh 12:30 Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes.
Joh 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.
Joh 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
Joh 12:33 This he said, signifying what death he should die.

Bible prophecy had to be fulfilled just as it was written, and it has been.

This is the very reason there are so many trying to discredit the Word of God!

1) Jesus Christ, our Lord felt much sorrow and pain and was in much heaviness.

Luk 22:43 And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.
Luk 22:44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

We can believe that the human part of the Lord has felt the agony of what was about to happen to Him.

Remember the Lord Jesus was 100% God, but at this time He was also still 100% human.

2) Our Lord Jesus was suffering much agony and grief and He wanted these men who had become His close friends to be near Him and pray with Him, but they had failed Him even in this as Jesus had said “watch with me”.

This is why it is important for someone to be praying for our Pastor while he preaches!

3) Our Lord Jesus Christ also warned these disciples to pray for themselves because the entire world would change at the death, the burial, and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ!

We must clearly understand that we must strive against sin at any cost to ourselves!

Heb 12:3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
Heb 12:4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

The Lord Jesus gave His life in great agony to pay for our sin!

What happened here in the Garden to Gethsemane should be our wakeup call in our everyday life trying not to sin.

When we sin, we are just adding to the agony of our Lord even in His forgiveness!

Thank goodness for His great love for us!

We can also see that it was that talking to our Heavenly Father (Prayer) that makes the difference in the comfort of our soul!

*Mat 26:39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

We must understand that “prayer” is not just a great privilege, it is necessity for us in today’s world!

We should also understand that even though this human side of our Lord Jesus was in such great agony, there was never at any point that Satan had the strength to destroy our Lord Jesus!

The Lord Jesus was bound for the cross, not “death in the Garden of Gethsemane”, no matter how hard Satan tried to kill Him there!

Anyone who teaches such a thing dishonors our Savior!

This human body of Christ was immortal just as the Church, the Body of Christ is immortal and can stand against the “gates of hell”.

Every Christian is immortal until God says it is our time to die!

If we believe that in our conflict with Satan, that he has the power to take our life at any moment, then we are saying Satan is stronger than our Lord Jesus Christ and this is false teaching!

Sure Jesus was in agony, He was taking upon Himself all the sin then, past, and future, He was surely in agony, but Satan could never take His life nor can he, our lives!

At no time was the Lord Jesus Christ in danger of death!

Death is the result of sin, and Our Lord Jesus Christ had no sin of Himself!

Only on the Cross was Our Lord Jesus made sin for us!

2Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

What did Jesus say?

Joh 10:17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.

Joh 10:18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

Our Lord Jesus laid down His glory to come to this earth with a mission to save our souls and nothing of this earth nor of the things of Heaven nor of the things of Hell could stop from completing His work!

Any teaching that goes against what our Lord accomplished is false teaching!

What was His agony?
What was He dreading?
What was that sorrow unto death?

Jesus who was in the image of God was soon to be made sin and had to stand in the presence of God.

His Father’s face which had always looked toward Him was soon to be hid!
For just a moment in time He was no longer the beloved of God!
His Father’s smile on Him would change to a frown!

That awful cry from the Cross tells us the whole story.

Mar_15:34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

We will never know this suffering for which our Savior endured because for this thing that our Savior did, we can never be forsaken!

Heb_13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

In all things the Lord Jesus Christ pleased His Father and so should we as best we can!

Luk_22:42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

Jesus so wanted His disciples to pray for Him and with Him. they were also His friends.

*Mat 26:40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
Mat 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

What we see is that even in His death, the Lord Jesus Christ stood alone, neglected by His closest friends.

What we see is that we may not ever understand everything that the Lord teaches us, but we must have enough “faith” to just believe what He says!

We may fail to pray for our Pastor, our family, and our friends which is awful, but we had better not forget to pray for ourselves!

We must watch what is going on in the world and the things that relate to the return of Christ Jesus, and we must pray that we with the power of God can stand with the Lord.

One man wrote that. “to watch is to see” and “to pray is be prepared”.

We cannot depend upon our own wisdom we need the mind of Christ Jesus!

Yes, they had a taxing day, and they were tired!
Yes, they were worried and fatigued!

We all know that concentration on prayer is hard enough without these obstacles.

Prayer is just too important to allow these things to interfere with our prayers and our prayer life.

It is a sure fact that we cannot fight temptation on our own!

Temptation is being enticed to commit sin.

The sources of temptation are:

1) Satan
2) This world.
3) Our Flesh.

Playing around with temptation will always lead to sad consequences!

When we watch and pray, we are saying, “I am depending upon you God to help me through this temptation” and He will!

If you have survived that temptation, then you need to thank the Lord for His help!

You see as a believer we are never alone!

Many of our trials come in an instant and in our weakness, we need to watch and pray immediately.

We know that our flesh struggles against the Holy Spirit who abides with us.

Gal 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

We need the strength of the Lord and a daily filling of the Holy Spirit!

The Lord went back to His prayer closet and prayed more.

*Mat 26:42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.

We should take the time to read Psalm 102

Psalm 102:1 Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee.
Psalm 102:2 Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily.

Psa 102:24 I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: thy years are throughout all generations.

Psa 102:18 This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the LORD.
Psa 102:19 For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the LORD behold the earth;
Psa 102:20 To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death;
Psa 102:21 To declare the name of the LORD in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem;
Psa 102:22 When the people are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.

Heb 5:7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
Heb 5:8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
Heb 5:9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

The Lord Jesus Christ was not afraid to die, His death had a great purpose! Our Salvation.

Our Lord Jesus did not want to break fellowship with the Father not even for one moment!

Whatever the will of the Father for Him, that the Lord Jesus was happy to comply with!

Those who were there with Him just fell asleep and many a Christian are still asleep today, not realizing just how close we are to the return of Our Lord Jesus!

Our Lord went to pray a third time.

*Mat 26:43 And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy.
Mat 26:44 And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.

We must clearly understand that Christ Jesus was not afraid of the death He faced. There was joy in what He was about to do!

Heb_12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; “who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross”, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

He just wanted a different way than a separation from our Heavenly Father even if it was just for a moment in time.

By this death Our Lord Jesus made a way that we can never be forsaken. This is that gift of “Grace” to the believer!

Jas 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Jas 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

When we face the trials of life, and we will, we need to remember these prayers from Gethsemane as an example given to us by our Master!

What are the enemies of our prayers?

1) Physical drowsiness.
2) Spiritual blindness, not believing what the Lord teaches us.
3) Taking God for granted. We must be sure our prayers reach into Heaven!

By the end of these prayers Our Lord Jesus had His answers, and He was prepared to drink of His bitter cup.

The best decision is always just to be obedient to our Heavenly Father!

*Mat 26:45 Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
Mat 26:46 Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me.

What His friends could not do for Him the Holy Spirit accomplished!

Our Lord Jesus was now at peace with what He was about to do.

He knew the terrible things that men of this world would do to Him, but He never flinched.

Christ had been in agony, but He was now at peace.

We to can find peace when we are sincere in our prayers, even when we do not get what we want.

Jesus knew what was about to happen and He welcomed the fact that in His death the world could be saved from the clutches of the Devil.

The traitor Judas led a small army of men to take the Lord Jesus to those who would judge Him, though they had already made up their minds to kill Him.

They carried swords and staves to overcome any that were with Jesus.

There were Temple guards and Roman soldiers.
There were some from the Sanhedrin Court and also of the Elders of Israel.
There was the traitor.

Joh 18:3 Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons.
Joh 18:4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye?
Joh 18:5 They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them.

Our Lord Jesus Christ did not get what He wanted, but His decision had been made and with joy He obeyed His Father!

God sometimes says “No” because it is just the right thing to do.

To be in the will of His Father, the Son had to die!

Amen

The Second Coming of the Messiah

July 25, 2021 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

The Second Coming of the King

Book of Matthew Chapter 24

The most anticipated day in all of Christianity is the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We know the Lord will return in two stages.

1) The Lord will return first to get His Church out of this world before the Tribulation years, the time of Jacob’s Trouble.

1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
1Th 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
1Th 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

He will meet His Church in the clouds!

Jer 30:7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.
Jer 30:8 For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him:
Jer 30:9 But they shall serve the LORD their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them.
Jer 30:10 Therefore fear thou not, O my servant Jacob, saith the LORD; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid.
Jer 30:11 For I am with thee, saith the LORD, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished.

The Tribulation years are a time of Jacob’s Trouble not a time of trouble for the Church.

All the persecution of the church will take place during the Church Age, the Age we are now in.

2) The Lord will return to end the time of Jacob’s Trouble by claiming the throne of David where He will rule this world for 1000 years.

Rev 20:1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
Rev 20:2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
Rev 20:3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
Rev 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Rev 20:5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

The Lord Jesus is still coming, and it may not be very much longer!

Many things will take place in this time period of when the Lord Jesus ascended back to Heaven and when He will return!

The Book of Matthew teaches us many of these things by the Lord Himself.

*Mat 24:1 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.

This Second Temple was a marvelous structure that King Herod had been restoring for more than 40 years.

*Mat 24:2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

There should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that this prophecy was fulfilled just as the Lord Jesus had said.

Josephus a Jewish historian testified of this destruction by Titus in 70 AD.

Josephus wrote that passersby would have supposed that the place of the Temple had never been inhabited if they did not know the truth.

Titus, the Roman general, ordered the very foundations of it to be dug up; after which the ground on which it stood was ploughed up by Turnus Rufus and planted.

As beautiful as this Temple was, it was the actions of the priests that changed the function of God’s House.

It is not the outward appearance of any Church that makes it truly acceptable, it is what is happening within.

The disciples were aroused to ask questions:

1) When would this Temple be destroyed.
2) When would the Lord return.

What should we then believe? We should expect a literal fulfillment of these words of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We must also understand that Our Lord Jesus is preparing these disciples for His departure!

*Mat 24:3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
Mat 24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

Just how will the Lord answer these questions, let us listen to what our Savior says.

The very first thing we see is that there will be great deceptions told to God’s people.

The very first sign would be the rise of false prophets!

If we cannot see the truth of this statement, then we are totally blind!

We should also see what is described as the ending of an Age.

We know the Church Age is coming to an end and another sign is that falling away.

2Th 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2Th 2:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

There is a great falling away from the Church because of all the false prophets in the pulpits and in the secular world.

*Mat 24:5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

Most all the world is aware that the Lord Jesus has said He would return, and He will.

Many do not understand that Our Savior and Redeemer will return in two stages.

These 12 men with the Lord understood that all these things might happen all at one time, and this is not what the Lord Jesus was teaching them.

Many today think these things have already taken place and this also is not what our Lord Jesus was teaching.

The Church has been around long enough for most all the world to know that by the teaching of the true Church, the only way to Heaven is through and by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Joh 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

All those people and all those nations know that the Bible says they are doomed to Hell whether they believe it or not.

Psa 9:7 But the LORD shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment.
Psa 9:8 And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.

Much of the Church is hated for these reasons.

Most all politicians use these things for their own glory, some the righteousness, and most against what we know is the truth.

In reality lies and liars dominate the language of this world today!

Another reality is that we should be very careful when we are quoting the prophecies of the end times.

The Lord says take heed less we are deceived.

*Mat 24:5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

There will be false Christs and there will be false prophets.

We see and we have seen both of these, and we will continue to do so.

These represent not only those who say they are the Christ, but also those who claim to be Christians and are not.

If this was not true then, our Lord Jesus would not have said these words and He has said them before He said all these other things.

The Lord said there would be many, not just a few.

2Co 11:13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
2Co 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
2Co 11:15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

These false Christ have existed since the beginning of the Church and are multiplying today.

1Jn 2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

Yet, there are many more signs.

*Mat 24:6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

The Lord said for sure there would be many wars and many more rumors of wars. These things must come to pass.

Saying these things meant these things would happen over a long period of time, but the end of which these disciples asked is not yet.

The thing we must remember the most is, that the fulfillment of the Scriptures requires a long time for its completion.

We need only look at the time that has already past yet, many prophecies have reached their fulfillment and many more will do so in the time that remains.

If the Lord returned for His Church today, we know there would be more than a thousand years that would remain for complete Biblical fulfillment.

The Lord Jesus could actually return for His Church today! There is nothing yet to be fulfilled before the “Rapture of the Church”.

Most all remaining prophecies concern the promises made to the Children of Israel.

The only thing lacking to be fulfilled is the patience of the Lord!

2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

We must never assume that all these things have all already taken place.

I believe if we look at all the things happening in our world today, it would be obvious that time is running out in the Church Age.

Rom 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
Rom 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
Rom 8:24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
Rom 8:25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

Nations will rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom.

*Mat 24:7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

Today our nation is more divided than it has ever been, and it is intentional by factions in our own government.

It is the same in other nations who have given in to the status quo and political correctness.

Today famines are not mentioned enough though they still exist because of so-called extreme weather, the heavy rains that trouble nations who have built too close to waterways for centuries, crying because they have something else to blame the flooding on.

Nations, cities, states, and homeowners and resort areas have always built too close to our waterways and the Lord says there will be flooding but not like the world wide flood in the days of Noah.

Jer 47:2 Thus saith the LORD; Behold, waters rise up out of the north, and shall be an overflowing flood, and shall overflow the land, and all that is therein; the city, and them that dwell therein: then the men shall cry, and all the inhabitants of the land shall howl.

Amo 8:8 Shall not the land tremble for this, and every one mourn that dwelleth therein? and it shall rise up wholly as a flood; and it shall be cast out and drowned, as by the flood of Egypt.

Nah 1:7 The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.
Nah 1:8 But with an overrunning flood he will make an utter end of the place thereof, and darkness shall pursue his enemies.

Maybe flooding has increased in some places.
Maybe famines have increased in some places.
Maybe earthquakes have increased and in places where they should not be happening.
Maybe buildings are collapsing for no reason.
Maybe pestilences (plagues) are increasing around the world as we have seen with Covid-19.

Oh, guess what, this is just what the Lord has said, and if you investigate, you will see the decisions that governments make every day are at fault and they had rather destroy history rather than preserve history and learn from their mistakes.

All these things that the world is so concerned about are only the beginning of the sorrows that are still in the future!

*Mat 24:8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

We should clearly understand that none of these things had anything to do with the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem by Titus in 70AD.

The Jews brought that on themselves.

Mat 27:23 And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.
Mat 27:24 When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.
Mat 27:25 Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.

When the Lord is rejected, He will leave and take His hand of protection with Him!

These are not things that the Church will see except for that statement of the Lord made right here.

The Church will see the beginning of sorrows as we see them today!

It only gets worse!

2Ti 3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

All these things we can see happening in our world today and at my age I have seen these things get worse.

This is why history is being erased.

Oh, did I say persecution was going to increase.

*Mat 24:9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.

What is persecution? Persecution is when Christians are forbidden to seek the spreading of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, by the use of force!

This is the main job the Lord Jesus gave us to do!

Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Mat 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Mat 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

The other job of the Body of Christ is to make disciples who are obedient to the Lord Jesus Christ, and they then go forth with the “Gospel”.

In America, it is hard to say we are persecuted when we see the persecution of the Body of Christ in many nations, but we can state in fact the even in America persecution has increased dramatically.

It really does not make sense as Christians are some of the best citizens of every nation by that same Word of God.

The one thing all Christians are to stand against is sin and that sin is based on that same Word of God.

So by this, we know that all governments in this world promote sin and refuse to stop promoting sin.

Who can figure that one out!

Most all sinners, all those without the love of Christ, promote murder, promote theft, promote immorality, and promote the defiance of authority.

Most all nations survive by taxes and Christians pay their taxes as demanded yet, all these involved in sin for the most part refuse to pay their taxes and become a burden upon those governments.

Most all Christians respect the authority of the government, yet most all sinners reject the authority of the government.

Yet, it is the Christian that is persecuted, and the sinner is praised by the government where no amount of sin is considered to be punishable.

The sinner who has not given their life to Christ and been Born Again by the “Grace” of God, remains a sinner who is sold out to the Devil!

These are also the Words of Jesus Christ:

Joh 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Joh 8:45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.

Those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ are persecuted, just because they agree with the Lord Jesus Christ!

Mat 10:22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

This world opposes believers!

Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Gal 5:20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Gal 5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Gal 5:24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

The world opposes the message of a Holy God, and will deliver up His disciples to be afflicted and many of them will just be murdered to keep them silent.

The world has become the greatest murderer that think they go unpunished, but this same Holy God says this is not true because the world will be held accountable!

So what is the greatest cause of death in our world? The governments of this world!

Hatred has finally found its true place in the world we live in now, and this is a sign that the end is very near!

*Mat 24:10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

We can ask ourselves just what is apostasy?

Apostasy is the forsaking and the renouncing of the things you say you believe.

How did the Lord Jesus put it?

Mat 13:20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
Mat 13:21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

We have seen far too many so-called Christians, duck and run when they find out they have to take a stand on the Word of God to be a true Christian!

Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Though every generation has some apostacy now, near the end, we have seen a great falling away from the truth of God!

1Ti 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
1Ti 4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

What is another great sign we are in the last days?

2Ti 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2Ti 3:2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
2Ti 3:3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
2Ti 3:4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
2Ti 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
2Ti 3:6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
2Ti 3:7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

The truth of God cannot be denied!

The false prophets have come out of the closet, and they speak boldly because they are allowed to!

*Mat 24:11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
Mat 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

What do we see?

We see false leaders offering false hope!

There is no hope for this world!

The Lord has already determined to destroy this world in the end, but He will first save it from those who are determined to destroy this world themselves.

This is true because this to is written in what we Christians call the Bible.

Every false prophet will have his or her own message about how to save the world.

There have always been some false prophets, but now they have taken over the pulpits of many denominations and some of all denominations, and the world has jumped inside the Church and the Church is sinking to new lows abandoning the truth of God.

This my friends is another sign of the end times that we are facing!

We should never say the end times for God’s people for this wrong, but the end times for the world as it now exist is what we are seeing.

1Ti 6:3 If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;
1Ti 6:4 He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,
1Ti 6:5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.

We must understand that only the genuine believer knows how to pray and talk with God!

By this, we will get the help we need to live through these difficult circumstances that we are facing, and we will be facing until the Lord Jesus completes our “Redemption”!

We are redeemed, the Lord just has not taken us home yet!

Until we leave this world we will see and are seeing hatred dominate in this world!

Love has grown cold by the actions of sin that has no feelings.

Sin is a destructive flame that burns until all it all has been consumed!

The Christian on the other hand is to fan the flames of truth and be brighter, in fact hotter.

Again a sign of the end times.

Rev 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
Rev 3:15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
Rev 3:16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

We cannot be lukewarm and say we love the Lord Jesus!

*Mat 24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Mat 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.

Maybe what we lack the most as Christians today is, endurance!

It may not can be said in many places on this earth, but in America we Christians have not been tested.

This may be why there is such a falling away from the Church.

This Covid-19 has closed the doors of many places of worship.

We have allowed the government to step in and violate our own constitution and the Democratic Party would do away with our Constitution if they get the opportunity.

Our freedoms are being eroded!

Our nation is headed toward Socialism or better said Communism like a freight train running out of track.

We had better learn to endure these things and remain steadfast with the Lord Jesus!

With today’s technology there remains very few places that have not been reached with the “Gospel”.

Those very few places that civilization has not touched, will be touched and they too will suffer the destruction of sin, but maybe they first can be reached with the truth of God, but if not, they will still have no excuse because we need only look around and we can know that only a wise Creator could have made all the things in this Cosmos.

Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
Rom 1:19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
Rom 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
Rom 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Its far better to know the Lord Jesus Christ that it is reject Him!

The greatest of all sin is to be ignorant of the Lord Jesus Christ, and it is He who will return first to take His Church home and then eradicate sin from this world by extreme force!

Amen

Opposition to the Truth of God

July 18, 2021 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Opposition to the King

Book of Matthew Chapter 22

What do we know for sure as Christians? We know that as long as we are in the Church Age, we will encounter those who oppose the Lord Jesus Christ!

We will even see enemies join together in an attempt to overthrow the Church.

We will certainly face persecution, but the Church cannot be shut down by the enemies of Christ!

Mat 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; “and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”.

We will see persecution increase throughout the world, but the Church will still prevail and even get stronger!

We must remember that strength is not always in numbers as it is in the knowledge of the truth of the Scriptures.

We are now studying the last week our Lord Jesus spent upon this earth.

Last week we saw that our Lord Jesus cleansed the Temple one more time running off those who bought and sold and the money changers, all these making God’s House of Prayer into a bazaar for the wicked.

Jesus had told the parable of the Marriage Supper and the leaders had determined that these things were about them.

What happens? Those who had rejected God’s Messiah plotted to destroy Him.

*Mat 22:15 Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk.

Even this thing fulfilled prophecy!

Psa 2:1 Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?
Psa 2:2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,
Psa 2:3 Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.
Psa 2:4 He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.

All the time the rulers of this earth are plotting to stop Christianity the almighty God is laughing at their feeble attempts!

We can be sure the Pharisees were becoming desperate, for they did not know how to stop Jesus.

All the previous attempts had been to discredit Jesus as the Master, Rabboni, a teacher of the Word of God.

This new attempt was to expose Jesus to the laws of government, which were by Rome.

The laws of Rome were harsh especially to anyone who defied them.

Our Lord Jesus was a hated man and a rejected Messiah!

All the so-called religious leaders devised a method to attack the Lord Jesus Christ.

*Mat 22:16 And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men.
Mat 22:17 Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?

These were wicked men full of hatred and they did not know Jehovah as they had claimed.

We must understand that this counsel was the Sanhedrin Court. In America we would say the Supreme Court.

In reality these people feared the Lord Jesus Christ because of the multitudes that gathered around Him.

They mocked our Lord by saying He was certainly a Bible Master, not expecting our Lord to show concern about the laws of man especially the laws of Rome.

We know it is our same Lord who places the government leaders in their positions, for His own purpose!

Rom 13:1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
Rom 13:2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
Rom 13:3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:
Rom 13:4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
Rom 13:5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.
Rom 13:6 For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.
Rom 13:7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.
Rom 13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

By reading in Chapter 13 Book of Romans, we can see that we are to be good citizens no matter who our leaders are, and we are to obey the laws of man as long as they do not contradict the Word of God.

Our God does not ever change so, yes, it was lawful to pay tribute to Caesar even though Caesar was a wicked, evil man.

Our Lord Jesus knew what those hypocrites were trying to do.

*Mat 22:18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?

We do not have to look really close to see the devil behind all these things.

You see the devil thought he would win if the Lord Jesus could be killed!

The Herodians were a mean-spirited group of men who actually favored political rule and the Roman authority.

They were bought by Rome to do the bidding of Rome.

Sounds a whole lot like many of our own politicians today, who sell out America to fill their own pocketbooks.

They did not want a free Israel.

We should keep in mind that these Herodians actually hated the Pharisees so, to see them work together for the same cause, “to eliminate” the Lord Jesus Christ, shows us just how desperate these Pharisees were.

Just so we know, there will never be any person or anything that can be used to get one over on the Lord Jesus Christ.

There is no human being who can fool God!

These Herodians were the worst hypocrites of all of Israel as they claimed Jehovah and their nation and were traitors to both!

Why would Jesus Christ not be allowed to preach in most Churches today? Because He can see right through their wickedness, and He points it out to them.

These wicked men were trying to involve our Lord Jesus in the politics of that day.

As Christians we do have two citizenships.

We are citizens of this world which is clearly evident.

As citizens of this world we should pay our taxes (tribute).

1Pe 2:13 Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;
1Pe 2:14 Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.
1Pe 2:15 For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:
1Pe 2:16 As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.

But we are also citizens of Heaven, bought and paid for by the “blood of Jesus the Messiah”.

We are Spiritual citizens of Heaven because Heaven is the home of the Holy Spirit.

We owe to God everything that belongs to Him!

No matter their beliefs, these Herodians, by rejecting the Lord Jesus had condemned themselves.

They were pretending to be something they were not.
They were pretending to seek the truth when they were not interested in the truth.
They were pretending to honor the Lord Jesus Christ, while they plotted for His death.

The Pharisees saw religion as supreme, but they had to admit that some things belonged to earthly powers.

Jesus then said show me the tribute money you are talking about.

*Mat 22:19 Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny.
Mat 22:20 And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?
Mat 22:21 They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.

This coin proved that the Jews were no longer an independent nation, but lived under the laws of Rome which demanded tribute and it was their duty to submit to the demands of Rome and to pay those taxes.

The Jews had allowed themselves to be in this position because they had turned their back on God.

What are the things of God? Our life and the things that surround our life.

If we do our duty to serve our sovereign God, we will find that we will not be in conflict with our nation if our nation respects the rights of God.

There is nothing my nation can do to take away my citizenship in Heaven!

We may live in this world, but we are not part of this world, but as visitors, we should obey the laws of this world and be good citizens of this world.

We owe God our life, we do not owe this world our life!

As the Born-Again children of God, we are to live a self-denying life of joy, love, peace for the sake of mankind.

Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Gal 5:24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Gal 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Gal 5:26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

We are to live as an example of Christ Jesus.

The way we live is our greatest witnessing tool!

So we see, we must be good citizens of this world and at the same time, remain true citizens of the Spiritual world.

We may have to pay taxes and tribute in this world, but we are to give our life to God who made us!

Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

The Herodians were silenced! Then came the Sadducees.

*Mat 22:23 The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him,

We should not forget we are in the last week of the Lord’s life and after His death He knows He will arise from that death after three days, just as He had said.

Mat_12:39 But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:
Mat_12:40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

This ultra-liberal group of men that approach Him now, did not believe in the resurrection.

They were just another cult like there are so many today who reject the truth of God.

We should clearly understand that the Herodians, the Scribes, the Pharisee, the Samaritans, and these Sadducees were all opposed to the Lord Jesus Christ, yet that all claimed Jehovah God.

The Lord Jesus Christ had to put up with these men and others like them most everyday He walked upon this earth.

Heb 12:3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
Heb 12:4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

We must understand the life of a Christian will never be easy, but it will always be rewarding!

Listen to these feeble-minded men try to trip up the Lord.

*Mat 22:24 Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.

They first presented their proof of knowing the Law of Moses.

Deu 25:5 If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband’s brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband’s brother unto her.
Deu 25:6 And it shall be, that the firstborn which she beareth shall succeed in the name of his brother which is dead, that his name be not put out of Israel.

We can actually trace this thing back to the day of Judah a son of Jacob.

Gen 38:8 And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother’s wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother.

We see that the preservation of the tribes of Israel were important.

These foolish men then tried to trip up the Lord with something they already denied.

*Mat 22:25 Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother:
Mat 22:26 Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh.
Mat 22:27 And last of all the woman died also.
Mat 22:28 Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her.

As we have seen in the politicians that are in power today in America, these men had no understanding of the truth of God, and they rejected most all the truth of the Doctrine of the Lord Jesus Christ.

In fact, the Word of God is the basis of all truth in our world so, any deviation is then in error.

These Sadducee substituted “tradition” (the oral law) for all the Word of God they denied, and we know that when the Word of God is misrepresented it leads to sin!

This situation was not impossible though highly unlikely, but these men had no question about this thing.

All the time they wanted for Jesus to get involved with the resurrection question.

These Sadducee had predetermined that Spiritual life would be the same as physical life, just like so many cults believe today.

1Co 15:12 Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?
1Co 15:13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:
1Co 15:14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.

There are many who continue to doubt the truth of Jesus Christ.

They believe that the Spiritual world would be just a continuation of this physical world.

The world is full of Sadducees today yet, there is much proof that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is in fact the truth.

2Pe 3:3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
2Pe 3:4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
2Pe 3:5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
2Pe 3:6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
2Pe 3:7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

I will trust in the truth of God.

How did the Lord Jesus respond to them?

*Mat 22:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.

What is the greatest error most every Christian makes? We do not study the Bible.

To study the Bible is a command of the Lord!

2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

How are we to know if the preacher is speaking the truth unless we study the Word of God ourselves?

We must at the very least read the Word of God, then the Holy Spirit will guide us!

We spend too much time searching for some miracle Bible that allows us to keep our pet sins!

Those that do these things would not like to hear the Lord Jesus Christ preach in any Church today!

We know we serve an unchanging God, and the Lord Jesus would have this same message for us!

“you do err, not knowing the Scriptures.”

These Sadducees were super religionist, but they did not know the Scriptures, nor did they care to know them!

The Word of God should be taken literal the only thing we need to understand is “to whom God is speaking to”.

God spoke to three peoples: The Jews, The Church, and The Gentiles.

These can further be broken down into two groups: The Saved and The Lost.

We should understand that we can learn from all the Word of God, and we should read it all.

The Word of God is clear that there is a Spiritual World!

There will be a resurrection of the Saints of God!

These things we can know and place our faith in the Works of the Lord Jesus Christ, to cause this to happen.

Isa 26:19 Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.

Joh 5:25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

Joh 5:28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
Joh 5:29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

Those old bones may be lying in those graves, but that soul is already with the Lord!

2Co_5:6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:
2Co_5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

Many a good Christian have been led astray by corrupt teachers and preachers, simply because they do not know the Word of God!

They do not study the Scriptures!
They do believe what the Word of God says!
They do not take the Word of God literal!

God reveals Himself to us in the Scriptures and God is an unchanging God.

The greatest of all sin is to be ignorant of the Lord Jesus Christ and He is my God.

We must understand the power of God, He is all-powerful!

Jehovah God is, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit)!

Psa 49:15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah.

While we live in this physical world, we need to understand that there is a Spiritual world that exists at the same time!

The natural man will never understand this, we must be “Born Again” to know the Spiritual World.

The Spiritual world will then become the most important part of us, while we still live in this physical world!

How ignorant were these Sadducee?

*Mat 22:30 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.

Those that reject a place called Hell and the corrupt person of Satan, do this because they reject the Resurrection, and they reject the Angelic world.

The answer to the question they asked the Lord Jesus Christ was never going to be received as the truth and the Lord knew this.

The Bible said:

This law was to preserve the family name as Israel grew into a nation.

This may not have even been practiced in this day of the Lord Jesus.

It was ignorance, unbelief, and sarcasm that caused this question to be asked.

*Mat 22:31 But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying,
Mat 22:32 I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.

“I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob”.

What is the Lord Jesus saying here? Jesus is saying that all those with the faith of Abraham are more alive than they ever were in their physical bodies!

Therefore there are no deaths in Heaven, making the Lord God Almighty to be the God of the Living.

The soul does not die with the body, which is no more than the dirt we walk on every day.

Because the Sadducees did not believe any of these things, they rejected any resurrection of the body.

God made promises to Abraham and Abraham would see the results that God promised Him!

Gen 17:8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

The Lord Jesus Christ is our Savior, our Redeemer, our Judge, and our Rewarder and soon to be King of the Jews and of this world!

Jesus does not hold these relationships just to dust and ashes, but He does hold to responsible beings existing in a Spiritual condition and in another portion of God’s Creation.

If we cannot believe this, then how can we claim the Lord Jesus Christ who says these things as the truth.

The soul never dies!

To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord Jesus Christ, who is sitting at the right hand of God, because He is the right hand of God!

The Lord Jesus simplifies what these super religious men were teaching in error.

*Mat 22:33 And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine.

The multitude was astonished because a lowly Shepherd, who rode in as a King, to become a Savior, had put to silence the religious leaders of all of Israel.

Rom 6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
Rom 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Rom 6:7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
Rom 6:8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
Rom 6:9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

In reality, we should remain amazed that our God loves us so much when He does not have to.

Yes, there will be a resurrection of those old bodies so that we can be recognized by others who have gone on before us, and by those who follow after us!

There will also be a resurrection of those who will face the Lord Jesus at the White Throne Judgment, and this is the one that The Lord Jesus has made a way for all to avoid.

Rev 20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Rev 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Rev 20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Rev 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Resurrection, and become alive to the truth of God!

Amen

Preparing For The Cross

July 11, 2021 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Preparation For the Cross

Book of Matthew Chapter 21

We should understand that everything that our Lord Jesus Christ did while He was upon this earth was done in preparation for His death on that cruel Cross!

From this lesson till the end of the Book of Matthew we will witness the death, the burial, and the resurrection of our Lord and Savior.

In this chapter Matthew begins to record the last week in the life of our Redeemer.

We should understand that Jehovah made a literal and political covenant with David and the fulfillment of this covenant will also be literal and political, but it will also have a spiritual fulfillment.

Psa 89:2 For I have said, Mercy shall be built up for ever: thy faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens.
Psa 89:3 I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant,
Psa 89:4 Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah.

All the Old Testament prophets expected a literal fulfillment of all the things written of the Messiah.

Isa 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Isa 9:7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

Isa 11:4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
Isa 11:5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

We know the Jews expected such a fulfillment of these things.

While the Jews craved a King David, God first sent a Savior.

Isa 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

In our lesson today we will see our Messiah be welcomed as this promised King on one day and a few days later He is crucified.

*Mat 21:1 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,

Bethphage was the name of a small village on the Mount of Olives and was situated at a fork in the road from Jerusalem to Jericho.

Bethphage was also close to Bethany.

It is at this fork in the road where Jesus sent two of the disciples to fetch a year-old donkey and its mother.

*Mat 21:2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.
Mat 21:3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.

We might ask ourselves, why would the Lord need this colt?

A year-old colt had reached his full strength, but it would have to be broken before it could be ridden or before it could be used to carry supplies.
This colt would do these things for Jesus, but it would also fulfill prophecy.

By riding this colt through the streets of Jerusalem, the Lord Jesus Christ would be proclaiming He was a King.

Many have had different thoughts as to why the Lord Jesus did this thing but there is only one reason, to fulfill prophecy!

Zec 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.

Some would say that the Lord Jesus made prior arrangements to get these animals but that is not necessary for God or why would two of the Lord’s disciples be questioned.

We should believe that the Lord demonstrated His omniscience as further proof to these 12 disciples.

God knows everything that is happening, all the time.

The Lord was saying to these 12 and to all that knew Him that He was certainly the Messiah.

He was not proclaiming to be the physical King of Israel at this time.

He was proclaiming to be the Spiritual King at this time as Jesus said to Pilate.

Joh 18:33 Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the Jews?
Joh 18:34 Jesus answered him, Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of me?
Joh 18:35 Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done?
Joh 18:36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.

The Lord Jesus will return to be not only King of Israel but King of all this world for 1000 years.

*Mat 21:4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,
Mat 21:5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.

Everything that the Lord Jesus did while He walked upon this earth was a fulfillment of prophecy!

Had the Messiah not come to save, we could toss the entire Bible out as false, but He did, just as He will return.

You see the Lord had a purpose behind such detailed preparations!

Zechariah said to tell Jerusalem and this telling was a warning.

He said the King in the line of David was coming just as written in the Scriptures.

He was coming in meekness not as the reigning King.

He would be sitting upon a donkey not as a conqueror.

The Lord Jesus made sure this prophecy was completed just as written so there would be no misunderstanding.

The Lord did not come to execute “judgment”, this would take place at His Second Coming.

The Lord did come to provide a means of salvation to whosoever would believe all these things.

Col 1:19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
Col 1:20 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
Col 1:21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled

The Lord Jesus the Christ will return!

*Mat 21:6 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,
Mat 21:7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.
Mat 21:8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.

These two disciples found these things to be just as the Lord had said.

There was no saddle for this animal because it had never been ridden so they placed their own robes upon this animal.

Then they helped the Lord to sit upon this animal.

Jesus Christ rode this animal into Jerusalem as a King but not as the King of Israel and He explains this later.

Jesus was deliberately accepting this homage from the disciples and all the multitudes that had gathered.
All the multitude showed homage by placing their clothing and palm branches and other branches from trees along His pathway even straw in some places.

We are to always obey the Lord without asking questions!

As our Spiritual King entered into Jerusalem, He rode to the Temple and not to the palace.

All these things mean, as we make a way for Jesus Christ to enter the hearts of the lost, we need to give Our Lord the very best that we can!

Php 3:7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Php 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
Php 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
Php 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
Php 3:11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the Highest!

*Mat 21:10 And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?
Mat 21:11 And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

We should understand that at the time of the Passover there would be over 2 million Jews in Jerusalem even in the day of Jesus and many of those did not know anything about what the Lord Jesus had been doing.

Certainly, they would want to know, just who was this man called Jesus as He rode in as a King.

Those multitudes that had been following Him gave them the answer, but in reality, it was the wrong answer.

Jesus was in fact the Son of David as prophesied!

Many of the local Jews had heard how Lazarus had been resurrected from the dead and that news had spread fast.

Thousands had gone forth to welcome this future King of the Jews.

Palm branches were waved by those traveling with Jesus and those that were welcoming Jesus.

“Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord”.

Hosanna was shouted everywhere, and Hosanna means “save now”.

Psa 118:25 Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.
Psa 118:26 Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD.
Psa 118:27 God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.
Psa 118:28 Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee.
Psa 118:29 O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Sadly all the enemies of Jesus could think of only one thing.

Joh 12:15 Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass’s colt.
Joh 12:16 These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him.
Joh 12:17 The people therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave, and raised him from the dead, bare record.
Joh 12:18 For this cause the people also met him, for that they heard that he had done this miracle.
Joh 12:19 The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him.

We know that the Lord Jesus had taken a moment to weep for those who were in Jerusalem on this day because the Lord knew what awaited Him.

Luk 19:41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,
Luk 19:42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.
Luk 19:43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side,
Luk 19:44 And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.

Jesus did not go to the palace of the king but instead He went to the Temple.

Jesus had not come to be King of Israel at this time!

*Mat 21:12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
Mat 21:13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.

This is the second time the Lord Jesus had cleansed the Temple.

Joh 2:13 And the Jews’ passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem,
Joh 2:14 And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:
Joh 2:15 And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables;
Joh 2:16 And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.

There were always money changers because only true Temple Coins could be used, so there was the weighing of coins, deductions for out of area coins, arguing, disputing, and bargaining.

Lambs for sacrifice and many others who bought and sold.

The Temple was nothing more than a bazaar during the days of the festivals.

It seemed so easy to buy a lamb to be sacrificed so your sins could be forgiven for one year.

The Lord’s House of Prayer had become worthless as the High Priestly family earned riches from these things that were taking place.

Jesus made no whip this time, the King needed no whip.

Jesus just overturned all the tables and ran those away who brought condemnation to the House of God.

The modern Church had better think on all these things as they have also become just dens of robbers.

Isa 56:7 Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.

The messenger had come to Israel, and he had been beheaded but the Lord had suddenly come to the Temple.

Mal 3:1 Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.
Mal 3:2 But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap:
Mal 3:3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.

The Lord will return and who then may abide the day of His coming.

There are those who refuse to believe that a third Temple will be built but they are wrong.

Not in the Church Age but surely during the time of Jacob’s Trouble.

It is the enemies of God who will build this third Temple just as the money for building of every Temple has come from the enemies of God.

The Temple is cleansed. Noise and confusion have ended.

During this confusion some of those who were not allowed inside the Temple came to be healed.

*Mat 21:14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.

Those with infirmaries were not allowed inside the Temple but in the confusion, they ran to Jesus.

Those who had suffered the most came to see Jesus, the true Messiah.

There is no medical situation that the Lord Jesus Christ did not heal on this day!

Every Church, those that gather in the name of the Lord Jesus, are to be places for the ministries of Jesus Christ.

The Church is to be a place to find healing for your soul.

No matter what ails us, the Lord Jesus Christ can heal us!

Mat_15:31 Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see: and they glorified the God of Israel.

These are things that the world could not do at the time of Jesus, and no one can heal like Jesus did this day!

There were some enemies who were eyewitnesses to these things, yet their hearts were so hardened the only thing they saw was an enemy to their pocketbooks and their prestige.

*Mat 21:15 And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased,
Mat 21:16 And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?

Who were these chief priest and scribes that saw these wonderful things? They were the same ones who yelled “Crucify Him”!

Mat 26:3 Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas,
Mat 26:4 And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him.

The Temple was full of visitors from many nations, and they witnessed the Messiah.

They had not seen as our Lord road in on the donkey, but they saw the power of God right before their eyes.

You know there is nothing you can say or do to convince a religionist that they are wrong in their beliefs.

They have no faith in the words they uphold and certainly no faith in the truth of God.

They have made religion their God and they change it to suit any situation they do not agree with.

They also believe that they must destroy all those who oppose them!

Children believe what they see.

Children believe what they hear from adults.

Children can easily be taken away from the truth by those who reject the truth.

Children are capable of know the truth of Jesus Christ and be saved!

The Lord Jesus teaches us to have child-like faith in His truth.

These same children also witnessed the hatred for the truth from so-called respectable adults.

We should always offer praise to our Lord when we gather in His house, but also wherever we are and encourage our children to join in.

Jesus Christ always welcomed the children!

Notice how the Lord Jesus defended these children who offered perfect praise.

Some places of worship do not allow children to be in the audience while the preaching takes place, they are foolish. These places worship a false god because they do not obey what Jesus said to do.

Some places of worship till this day reject the Jesus the Christ, the Messiah. These places worship a false god!

Some places of worship reject the Jesus is the Savior of this entire world. These places worship a false god.

Some places of worship object to the public praising of our Lord and Savior. These places are centers for false teaching and blasphemy.

We should understand that is our Heavenly Father who raised up children to offer praise inside and outside the Church.

Psa 8:1 O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
Psa 8:2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

It is foolish adults who take these things away from their children!

If a Church ceases to praise the Lord, in all likelihood God will raise up some child or some young adult to voice their own praise for the truth of God!

Are you a child of God?

Heb 2:13 And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.
Heb 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
Heb 2:15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

Then you are one of His children!

Amen

There Is A Costs For Being Like Christ

July 4, 2021 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

The Cost of being a Part of the Kingdom

Book of Matthew Chapter 19

Today we see the story of a rich young ruler and this rich young ruler should also give us a picture of those in America today who do not know the Lord Jesus Christ.

This lesson is not about riches.
There were no rulers that were not appointed by Rome or through Rome.

This person in all likely hood was a young ruler of a synagogue.

This man would have at least been 30 years old.

Most the rulers of the synagogues were chosen because they were free from the need to work for a living.

They could devote themselves full time to the duties of the synagogue.

Most of them of course, were Pharisees and they followed all the traditions of the Pharisees, the “oral law”.

What are some questions that will be answered as we go through this lesson?

1) Christ denied that He was good. Was this true? He did not deny that He was the Master!
2) Christ taught this man nothing of believing but told him to keep the law. Jesus Christ is the only One who kept all the Law!
3) Christ told this man to sell all he had. Does God really require this of us to be saved?

This passage of Scripture is used by many to do away with “Grace” and keep to the “Law”, but those who do this miss the whole point of the message of Jesus.

This passage also teaches us, those who think that they have goodness within themselves, when as the Lord says, there are none good but God!
This is typical of religionist!

The main question they all have is: how do I obtain eternal life?

Mar 10:17 And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?

Luk 18:18 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

He is saying: what work can I do to gain eternal life?

Just as he had inherited his riches he asked: how do I inherit eternal life? To inherit the things of God is impossible though we will share in the inheritance of the Lord Jesus Christ!

We cannot inherit what God gives as gifts to those who love Him!

How did Matthew see it? Remember Matthew was an eyewitness to this event.

*Mat 19:16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?

The first thing we notice is that this young man, probably a ruler of a local synagogue, was ignorant of eternal life.

We should understand that there are only two groups of people in the world and they both already have the promise of eternal life.

Life with the Lord will be wonderful, but life in the pits of Hell will be so horrible it will be as eternal damnation.

Many people do not believe in a Hell, but you cannot believe in Heaven and reject that there is a place called Hell.

This young man should have known this.

Dan 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.
Dan 12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
Dan 12:3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

We need some of the wisdom of our Heavenly Father to avoid that damnation!

This young man went to the right source in seeking the wisdom of the Lord Jesus.

This is the most important information that we must seek as humans, but the mistake that is made the most is that we may be able to do some work to obtain this eternal life which is impossible.

The “Gospel of Grace” is not a “Gospel of Works”!

This young man who had tried his best to be obedient to the Laws of Moses had realized he had no assurance of eternal life with Jehovah God.

What was his problem? There were some things he was not going to give up even for Jehovah God!

The one fact we had better understand is, that we can have all the religion in the world and put on top of that all the goodness in the world, and yet without the Lord Jesus Christ we cannot know how to obtain eternal life. We can only obtain eternal death!

Eternal life is not some reward we can earn!

Eternal life is a gift for acknowledging the truth of God’s Messiah!

2Jn_1:7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

1Jn_4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

1Jn 2:22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
1Jn 2:23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.

How did the Lord Jesus respond to this question?

*Mat 19:17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
Mat 19:18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,
Mat 19:19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

The one thing this young ruler got right is the fact that there is life in another world.

Every individual who lives needs to understand this truth!

Very few of those who are rich will ever admit that there is something this important that they cannot purchase with this world’s riches.

Many people, especially the young and add to those the rich, just do not realize the peace of mind and the sense of completeness that comes from knowing these things are forever settled while we live in this natural world.

Yes, there is the natural world and there is the spiritual world.

We are born sinners into this material world, and we have the ability to make choices, but we will live and die by our choices.

The Lord Jesus made this truly clear to this young man, “there is none good but God”.

This young man looked upon the Lord Jesus as a good man, not as the Messiah.

This young man was ignorant of who he was speaking to, in fact rejecting Him as the Messiah.

God had given the children of Israel the Laws of Moses and also the sacrifices that were to be made yearly in order for them to be received into Paradise.

The New Covenant had not yet begun so this young man was still under the Old Covenant which would soon be done away with, but not on this day he was with our Lord.

Heb 8:13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

These are things that only God can do, and His name is Jehovah.

Only Jehovah is good! The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit!

The Lord Jesus Christ is certainly much more than a “good teacher” yet He is the only One who can teach us the “Good Things” of God!

Note: the Lord Jesus tells each of us the same thing today.

He would tell each of us to keep the Commandments.

Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Mat 22:38 This is the first and great commandment.
Mat 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Mat 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

We might ask ourselves what is our greatest hindrance in getting to to Heaven? Self-righteousness.

*Mat 19:20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?

As far as this young man was concerned, he was perfect.

If he had kept all of the Laws of Moses as He had said, then he already knew he had eternal life according to the Old Covenant with God.

In reality we already know that only the Lord Jesus Christ was able to keep all the Laws of Moses.

The real truth is that the Lord Jesus looks into the heart as we have said many times.

There is one law that we all break routinely.

It was first in the Old Covenant and first in the New Covenant.

Old Covenant:

Exo 20:2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
Exo 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Deu 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
Deu 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

New Covenant:

Mar 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

Over and over again the Lord Jesus had proved He was the Anointed One sent from God, but to this young man the Lord Jesus was just a good teacher.

The first need for any of us is, to realize that we are just lost sinners in need of a Savior.

This young man felt that he was perfect and without sin.

So what did this young man lack as he felt he must have some work to do?

*Mat 19:21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.

Instead of trying to accumulate more riches, the Lord Jesus said you must “repent”, change direction, change the way you think, give your riches to the poor those riches will just weigh you down if you give your heart to the Lord.

If we love our neighbors, we will help them in their hour of need!

We should understand that this was a test for this rich young ruler, and we cannot apply this to everyone who is rich.

We are all rich compared to what our parents had as far as material things.

I have said that the greatest sin is the ignorance of the Lord Jesus Christ, and this is still true.

In reality, until we realize that we are just sinners in a lost and dying world, we will never realize that we are ignorant of our own selves.

He had boasted that his obedience to those old laws was exact.

In truth he needed a new heart.
In truth he needed a new sense of guilt.
In truth he needed to know the reality of sin.

We get hung up on what the Lord Jesus said about those riches, and we forget what Jesus actually said.

The Lord Jesus said “if you want to be perfect then follow Me”!

When the Lord says to “Come”, then it is time to Come!

This young man with such riches had to expose his true god, riches.

*Mat 19:22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
Mat 19:23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 19:24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

When the Lord says to come then it is time to drop everything and go to Him!

The very first thing we all must do is to go to the Lord when He calls!

Today the Lord calls through the Holy Spirit and we must not be fooled; the Holy Spirit may one day quit calling us.

Gen 6:3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man,

We must walk by the Holy Spirit who will never lead us astray but will always lead us to the Lord Jesus Christ!

Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
Rom 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
Rom 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Rom 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
Rom 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Rom 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
Rom 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
Rom 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
Rom 8:10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

Self-Righteousness has no place in the New Covenant, just as it had no place in the Old Covenant.

This young man probably at least 30 years old could not depart from his worldly things, therefore he could not accept Spiritual things.

Riches are a great obstacle for those who are rich to overcome!

Wealth, materialism and pride have taken many a person to Hell and they will many more.

There are many interpretations for that phrase “eye of a needle”.

This is a lesson for another time.

If we take what Jesus said literally and we should, then we can say without a doubt that a rich man unwilling to part with his worldly goods will never make it into Heaven.

A camel cannot pass through any needle.

A camel in the time of Jesus was the largest of the animals Israel.

If there was a small door called the “needle’s eye”, then it was certainly impossible for a fully loaded camel to go through that door or that gate that was made for humans.

Camels cannot get into Heaven and humans unwilling to part with their worldly goods will certainly not get into Heaven.

Only those who have repented and followed the Lord Jesus Christ and who come when He calls, can get into God’s New Heaven!

The disciples were astonished at these words of the Lord!

*Mat 19:25 When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?
Mat 19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

Just who can be saved?

Act 8:37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

Pretty simple!

Did Jesus just teach these things as fact?

What had these disciples been taught?
What has been taught throughout all generations?
What has much of the Church been taught?

1) That prosperity is God’s blessing.
2) That prosperity is the reward for righteousness and obedience.
3) That earthly treasures come to those who are obedient to the Lord.

Jesus Christ just burst that bubble right here in this passage!

We must clearly understand that salvation is of Jehovah God!
With men salvation is impossible!

Salvation is by “Grace” and only by the “Grace” of God.

Prosperity is no more a sign of obedience than being poor is a sign of disobedience!

God promises to meet our needs.
God is concerned for our Spiritual blessings.

Righteousness and prosperity have nothing to do with each other!

Wealth is seldom a good thing for anyone!

Wealth in many cases bring worldly difficulties.

The goal of most every poor man is to be rich.

Why is having wealth such a problem?

Mat 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

God does choose to bless some more than others, but this is just what God does and we can be sure He has His own reasons.

In fact we must consider just what are true blessings and not many of us would say money.

For instance it would be a great blessing to me if I knew all my family here on earth would also be in Heaven.

What do we know for sure?

Rom 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

We must not forget our purpose; our purpose must match God’s purpose!

If God allows us to have more, it may be because there are those who have a need.

God also expects us to enjoy life, but He does not necessarily allow for us to live extravagantly.

Man was not made for worldly things; worldly things were made for man.

The problem is, we allow ourselves to become slaves to these things and with this slavery we lust for more and more in a never-ending cycle.

If we use any wealth that God gives us for promoting the “Gospel” of Jesus Christ, then we see what God expected us to do with it.

Anything that takes our heart away from the Lord is then an abomination!

Jer 17:5 Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.

It seems that no one upon this earth has the know-how to break the power of lust for riches.

From the time we are born until the time we die we seem to want more and more!

Just as the Lord Jesus Christ is our only hope, He is the only hope for the rich.

It is only the Lord Jesus who can break all chains of bondage!

Our desire for Heaven must outweigh any desires we may have for the things of this earth!

We must also remember there is nothing too hard for God!

He is in the business of saving lost souls!

To be saved is to be a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Again Peter steps in with a response.

*Mat 19:27 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?
Mat 19:28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

What had Jesus said to that rich young ruler to do? “If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me”.

It is those treasures in Heaven, no matter what they are, that are far more important than anything of this world!

As hard as it sounds, to be saved it is really quite simple, it is all about Jesus Christ!

The Lord Jesus Christ is the stumbling block for all unbelievers!

It is not about being poor any more than it is about being rich!

Peter was just wondering if he had done enough.

Had these disciples done enough? We know that one never did.

In fact none ever did enough because it is not about works.

We will find that the Lord Jesus Christ has done all the works and the key to salvation is simply, do we have faith in the work that the Lord Jesus has done?

We must forsake this world for the privilege of living in the Glory World!

Forsaking all does not mean we are to not support our families and it takes worldly riches to get those things.

Peter still had a home.

Mat 8:14 And when Jesus was come into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother laid, and sick of a fever.

Serving the Lord means we put the Lord first even above our families, but it does relieve us the duty to provide for our families.

We are to follow the Lord Jesus Christ and if our family chooses not to then we are to continue with Christ.

The truth is when we put the Lord Jesus first in our lives, we find that life becomes more balanced!

Luk 18:29 And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake,
Luk 18:30 Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.

The Lord Jesus also said these words.

When we follow the Lord Jesus Christ we will never regret having done so!

We will find that we have changed the way we think.

2Co 5:16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.
2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

How do we lose our rewards?

1) Not forsaking all for Christ Jesus.
2) Thinking we have given up more than some others give.

We are never to attempt to bargain with God!

1Jn 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1Jn 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
1Jn 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

If it is in this world, it is worthless in Heaven!

Amen

Jesus Begins to Instruct the Church

June 27, 2021 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

Instructions For Subjects of King Jesus
Book of Matthew Chapter 18

As “Born Again” Christians the greatest asset we have is our “faith”. Hebrews 11:6 says without “faith” it is impossible to please Jehovah God!
You might be able to please the false gods of this world because they do not exist, but you will never please our Righteous Living God without faith!
Remember the Holy Spirit provides “saving faith” so here we are talking about faith above and beyond this “saving faith” that is freely given.

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

We did not have to work for it, nor could we earn it, all the things of salvation are freely given to us by our Merciful God!
This faith must remain with us all our lives and it must grow, it is our shield against the evil of this world!

Eph 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

In the first part of this chapter Jesus teaches us we must become as little children in order to enter the kingdom of Heaven.
The disciples were consumed about who would be the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven and Jesus said you must humble yourself as a child.
Most children are not trying to get to the front of the line they are simply excited to be in the line and not be left out!
They will take the back of the line if that is all that is available.

Mat 5:5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

There must be some modesty along with that faith.
A little child knows nothing about ambition.

Jas 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

In this context, every Christian, even “babes in Christ” must be allowed access to the things of God!

Mar 10:15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.

Then we must realize that these children, “babes in Christ” and those who have been led away from Christ, are the same ones the Lord Jesus is referring to in our lesson today.

*Mat 18:11 For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.
Mat 18:12 How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?

Why did the Living God pour Himself into a body of flesh? He came to save that which was lost, which is all of His creation.
How will He do this?

2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Rev 21:5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

Then Jesus uses another parable to explain these things. The Parable of the Lost Sheep.
Jesus is very serious about all those with “childlike” faith who have received Him as their Savior!

Mat 18:6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
Mat 18:7 Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!

We should clearly understand that the Lord Jesus Christ, the God of the Bible, Jehovah, takes His stand with those who love Him and believe in Him.
The Lord Jesus Christ says: “I Am Your Father”!
The Lord Jesus Christ is our Lord!

What did Isaiah write of our Savior?

Isa 63:9 In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.

The Lord Jesus was afflicted on the cross, but every time one of His children is afflicted today, He suffers with them.
We should keep this in mind as we witness all the suffering in our world especially the persecution of the Church.
As we honor those who love the Lord, we do honor unto our Lord!
If we have a hand in any persecution of the Church, then we are persecuting our Lord and our Savior over and over again!
We should allow this to sink in to teach us how to behave one toward another!
Jesus came to save those who are lost, He certainly will not lose any of them!
The Lord Jesus Christ left Heaven with a purpose!
The world is full of those who have strayed from our Creator.
Those that remain astray are doomed to be destroyed unless they are reached and saved by the Lord Jesus Christ!

Rom 3:11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
Rom 3:12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Rom 3:13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
Rom 3:14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
Rom 3:15 Their feet are swift to shed blood:
Rom 3:16 Destruction and misery are in their ways:
Rom 3:17 And the way of peace have they not known:
Rom 3:18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.

There is no one outside the scope of God’s love, but we must come when He calls us to return to Him!
So Jesus teaches these disciples so that they clearly understand their purpose and the purpose of each disciple today.
Jesus said: think like, I think.
We should understand this “certain man” as our Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ.
He has gathered a 100 sheep, but one is gone astray before it reaches the safety of the truth of salvation.
I do not like the term “once saved always saved’ because it suggests that we can do as we please after we are saved, and God does not care, and this is very wrong.
The fact is that once we have given our heart to the Lord Jesus Christ, our goal is to be like Him which is the reason of the term Christian, (Like Christ).
There were 99 of these sheep safe in the hands of the Lord and one who was lost and had not found its way to the Lord.
The Lord Jesus has done everything He can to insure our salvation for, whosoever will come to Him, and it can be said that He is actively seeking all those who are lost.
Why?

1Pe 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1Pe 1:4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
1Pe 1:5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
1Pe 1:6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
1Pe 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
1Pe 1:8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
1Pe 1:9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

The Lord rejoices at the salvation of every soul!

*Mat 18:13 And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.

We must never think that these lost sheep mean more to Jesus than those who are safe in the sheepfold!
We must understand that this parable is about Jesus building onto His Church.
The Apostle Paul got it right:

1Ti 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

We already know the Lord Jesus is the “Good Shepherd”!

Joh 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

We should know the Jesus is talking about His Sheep, the Church and then later on He will deal with Israel.

1Pe 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
1Pe 2:25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

All of Heaven rejoices over every soul that is saved.

Luk 15:7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

Here in the Book of Luke, Jesus uses a similar parable to teach us about those who justify themselves, but there is joy in Heaven over every sinner that is saved.
We always ask about the will of God.

*Mat 18:14 Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.

God has provided the only means there is for us to be saved.
God poured Himself into a human body just to die for our sins!

Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Php 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Php 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Php 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Once the Lord finds us lost and rambling through this lost world and we see the truth of the “Gospel” of Jesus Christ and believe, we become a member of His family.
He becomes “Our Father”!
He then expects our help to reach out to other “lost sheep”!
Keep in mind He does not need us, but He promises rewards for becoming employed by the Holy Spirit.
We are also expected to help care for the flock by helping them to be witnesses of the “Gospel” and fishers of men!
What we refuse to do someone else will be sure to do!

1Ti 2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
1Ti 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

Jesus Christ died for those weak in their faith just as He died for those who are strong in faith!

1Co 8:9 But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.
1Co 8:10 For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol’s temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols;
1Co 8:11 And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?
1Co 8:12 But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.
1Co 8:13 Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.

When we do things that are offensive to those, weak in their faith, we may cause them to stray.
These things must be avoided!
We are to be as forgiving as Christ Jesus, but the Lord Jesus also gives us some guidelines on how to deal with them.

*Mat 18:15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
Mat 18:16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
Mat 18:17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

Again we see Jesus teaching us about the Church.
If the Lord Jesus is teaching us then, He is teaching us how to be more like He is!
A brother would be a brother in Christ, a member of those who assemble for Christ, the Church.
We see the Church in this world, all those who go through the Door, which is Christ, have become enemies of each other, rather than unified in defense of the Gospel!
We still live in these bodies of flesh so we will be at odds with each other from time to time, but that is no reason for these things to cause us to be enemies.
If we go in good faith to that one and explain how we feel about what that person has done to us, we may actually make a better friend.
If we have not already forgiven them prior to confronting them, then we will not help the matter come to a good conclusion.
***There is no need to broadcast these things to any others until this first step has been taken.
We are to confess our faults to one another and pray to the Lord before we confront each other.

Jas 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Jesus admitted that this will not always work.
Sin is not always easy to get away from, and it cannot happen without the Lord!
The next step is to take one or two more who were witnesses to this trespass.
What one may deny in front of one may not be so easy to deny because of others who witnessed this sin.
Still, do not resort to making this thing known to others or to the assembly of other Christians.
Mistakes are made in our lives and can be forgiven, but a ruined reputation may not ever be overcome.
We must keep in mind the purpose of these things is gain a brother and not to lose a brother.

Gal 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
Gal 6:2 Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
Gal 6:3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.
Gal 6:4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.
Gal 6:5 For every man shall bear his own burden.

If this does not work restore this brother, then it is time to go before the assembly, all those who assemble in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We must remember all God’s Children are already “justified” so this assembly is not set in place to judge this person.
Only the question of Christlike behavior is to be considered, knowing we all fail from time to time.
We simply cannot live in denial of the truth of God!
The sin that occurred is now to be made public to the Church and it is the assembly that is to seek to restore this brother or sister.
Again, keeping in mind the Lord Jesus is teaching us how to build on to the Church and not to tear down the Church.
We cannot rate the growth of any assembly by numbers.
The rate of the growth of any Church should be how well we adapt to the truth of the Scriptures and to be more like Christ Jesus!
We must understand that the Church did not exist at this time, so the Lord Jesus is teaching these things for future use.
There will still be those who will not listen to the assembly of God’s people and then, it is time to ask them to leave that assembly.
Remember these are Holy Ghost filled people who are trying to obey the complete Word of God and we cannot allow any one person to deny the truth of God because, one bad apple can certainly ruin the whole bunch.
This person has forfeited the right to assemble with God’s people, but it does mean we should not continue to seek to restore this person as the opportunity arises.

*Mat 18:18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

We should clearly understand that the Body of Christ has every right to discipline in their assemblies, but the one caution needs to be observed is that only the Word of God should be used.
Those who break man’s laws will be disciplined by those laws without Church interference, except for the times when man’s laws conflict the Word of God.
The Word of God is always right, rightly divided!
We should understand that personal matters are not up for discussion in the Church unless that person causes it to happen and not many will.
This is not a testimony unless that person causes it to be a part of their testimony.
We should clearly understand that no one but God can forgive sin!
We should clearly understand that no one but God can doom anyone to Hell!
We should understand that no one but God can make us free!
When that person refuses to reconcile their sin with the Church, then he is lost to that group of believers!
This means, the Church has failed to reach him or her and they are bound to earth, their business between them and a Holy God.
If this person ever comes to their senses and reconciles with the Church, they can be received as a redeemed brother or sister.
Those who attempt to divide the Church must be dealt with!

Mat 12:25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:

Divisiveness causes the Church to look corrupt and weak, it must be put down immediately!
Divisiveness threatens all the ministries of the Church that first one being making disciples to witness the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Notice that it is the Lord Jesus, upon which the Church is founded, that gives these instructions or better said, commandments!
The Church must always stand on the Word of God!

Php 1:27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

What is a true Church? Those who are gathered in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ!

No other group who gathers in assembly are part of God’s Church!

*Mat 18:19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Nothing in the Church is ever over until it has been bathed in prayer!
***Nothing in the Church is ever over until it has been bathed in prayer!
You see the Church must be united in this prayer and all divisiveness put down.
We are ambassadors for Christ, and we need to act like we are!
When a local assembly comes together in agreement with the Word of God, in prayer in the name of Christ Jesus, then and only then will that body of believers know how to handle that one who has divided himself or herself from the Church.
We must seek God’s will and God’s approval before we close the doors to anyone!
We must be unified in the name of Jesus Christ!
Notice this is not seeking the arm of God, it is seeking the face of God that many of us have forgotten to do.

1Ch 16:10 Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.
1Ch 16:11 Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.

The greatest truth here is, that how can we ever attempt to correct a brother or sister if we do not have a close relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ ourselves?

Then Peter asked another question.

*Mat 18:21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
Mat 18:22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

Again this is a fair question when we think like humans. There must be some limit to our forgiveness.
But with the mind of Christ, then there can be no limit to our forgiveness.
Think back to just how sinful we have been and continue to be, yet the Lord continues to forgive us our sin.
In fact, it should be harder for the Lord to forgive our sin since we have made a promise to follow Him in His ways.
I cannot help but to remember the Apostle Paul.

Rom 7:13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.
Rom 7:14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
Rom 7:15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
Rom 7:16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
Rom 7:17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing:for
to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
Rom 7:19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Rom 7:20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
Rom 7:21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
Rom 7:22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
Rom 7:23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
Rom 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
Rom 7:25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

A good study of Romans Chapter 7 will help us all in this matter of living in this body of flesh!
I know we find it difficult, but in all things, we are to have the mind of Jesus Christ this means, we need to think as He says and as He does.
He has given us multiple examples when He was upon this earth.
He has shown us time after time how He reacts to sin, to abuse, to government, and to the Church and we know He will never change.
There is no way to improve on the “Goodness of God”!
There is no way to improve on the “Mercy of God”!
Because there is no way to improve on the “Love of God”!
God can save anybody anywhere at any time!

Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

There is always another side to what God says and far too many travel this path to destruction!

Rom 13:2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

Amen

God Confirmed His Messiah

June 20, 2021 / Bobby Mayfield / Leave a comment

God Affirmed That Jesus Is King

Book of Matthew Chapter 17

Today we look at the transfiguration of the Lord Jesus Christ. We can just imagine what was in the minds of the three men who were with Jesus.

The Lord Jesus allowed Peter, James, and John to be with Him as this great event took place.

I think it would be good if we just took a look at what Peter has written to us by the Holy Spirit much time after this event:

2Pe 1:16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
2Pe 1:17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
2Pe 1:18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.
2Pe 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
2Pe 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
2Pe 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

There were certainly fables being taught to the Jews at this time. Peter said the “transfiguration” of Christ was not a fable but an event that took place and was true.

Peter was not alone but with James and John making 3 eyewitnesses with the exact same story of truth.

There was a fourth witness, that being the voice of God who spoke in an audible voice.

No doubt that the disciples needed unusual strength for the task that Jesus was giving them, and they needed strength to face the future.

The cross was just a few days away and the hopes of the disciples would be tested, but the resurrection of Jesus Christ according to the Scriptures, would convince these men of the sure truth.

Then Peter said even as true as this event was, the greatest truth we have is the written Word of God which means what it says, and it says what it means.

*Mat 17:1 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,
Mat 17:2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.

It had been six days since Peter had claimed that the Lord Jesus was indeed the Messiah, the Son of the Living God.

Luke wrote that it was eight days, but this was the way the Jews counted days with any part of a day counting as a whole day.

In numerology 6 being the number of man and 8 being the number of the resurrection.

The Lord Jesus took Peter, James, and John with Him as witnesses to tell the other disciples but also seal up their doubts.

Many believe that this mountain was Mount Hermon because it was near Caesarea Philippi their last recorded location.

Mount Hermon is a natural landmark that can be seen from the plains of Moab and from the Dead Sea.

It was probably on one of the southern peaks of Mount Hermon where Jesus transfigured before these 3 men.

No other mountain was more appropriate than Hermon with its snowcapped peaks.

Our Lord and his disciples climbed this “high mountain at least a part of it” one day, and remained on its summit all night, “weary after their long and toilsome ascent.”

During the night “He was transfigured before them; and His face did shine as the sun.”

The next day they descended to Caesarea Philippi.

The word “transfigured” means Jesus was changed in form.

Matthew wrote: “His face did shine as the Sun” “His clothes were as white as sunlight”.

He is the Sun, the Sun of Righteousness.

Mal 4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

Mark wrote:

Mar 9:3 And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them.

This gives us an idea for Mount Hermon with its year round snow covered peaks.

Luke wrote:

Luk 9:29 And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.

It was the Holy Spirit who gave these words to Mark and Luke so there were 6 witnesses on Mount Hermon.

Peter, James, John, The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit!

One day every child of God will witness the glory of the Lord and obtain a similar glorified body!

1Jn_3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

I also like this one:

Pro 4:18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

We should also understand that when the Lord returns, the Sun as we see it will be pale in comparison to our glorified Savior:

Rev 2:28 And I will give him the morning star.

The Lord Jesus had gone to pray to His Heavenly Father and all these other things happened for the benefit of Peter, James, and John and for all those who study to show themselves approved of God.

But these disciples saw some other men.

*Mat 17:3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.

These are two of the departed Saints of God that were revealed.

They came to talk with the Lord Jesus about His death:

Luk 9:30 And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias:
Luk 9:31 Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.

They came to show that the Lord Jesus Christ is superior to the Law and all the Prophets!

Moses represents the Law. The ones who had passed through death by the Law.

Elijah represents the Prophets and those who will never see death.

They came to show that the Lord Jesus is indeed the true Messiah!

It is Jesus Christ that all the Law pointed to!
It is Jesus Christ that all the prophets spoke of!
It is Jesus Christ that has fulfilled the Old Covenant and is the beginning and end of the New Covenant!

2Co 3:2 Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:
2Co 3:3 Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.
2Co 3:4 And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:
2Co 3:5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
2Co 3:6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

One thing we should clearly see is that all believers who are now in Heaven are more alive than they ever were upon this earth.

Moses and Elijah are proof of this truth!

They live in a dimension that is not of this world!

If we look from a standpoint of the Lord’s coming Kingdom, Moses would, represent in type those saints who died in Christ who are said to be asleep through Jesus and will return with the Lord when He returns.

Elijah then in type would represent the “Raptured Saints” who are alive through Christ and will be changed in a twinkling of an eye.

1Th 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
1Th 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
1Th 4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
1Th 4:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Then our favorite Apostle speaks up again.

*Mat 17:4 Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.
Mat 17:5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

It appears that Peter had no idea what was taking place and he was right, it was good for Peter, James, and John to be there.

It was an amazing sight by our Amazing God!

In reality this event in typology represents the remnant of Israel looking up to see the Lord return as He promised to end the time of Jacob’s Trouble, the Second Coming of the Messiah.

Rev 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

We can be sure the Lord Jesus has met His Church in the clouds because He will bring His Church with Him before this take place.

Peter did not realize what any of these things meant until he had been filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, after the Lords’ resurrection from His death and His ascension back to Heaven.

By these words that Peter spoke, he lowered the dignity of the Lord down to the same level of Moses and Elijah who were surely great men of the Bibles, but they were just men.

Peter was not alone in his thinking process as he says “let us make here three tabernacles” as if he had talked these things over with James and John.

This is the same thing that is happening to the Lord Jesus today.

Much of corrupt so-called Christianity have placed the Lord Jesus alongside men such as the Pope who is considered the only one who can decide what God has said and there are many others who claim to these things attempting to rob the Lord Jesus Christ of His glory.

When the Lord Jesus is not first in our lives, we are robbing Him of His glory!

Peter was still babbling away when God the Father spoke up.

The bright light of God’s Glory suddenly appeared in the in the heavens and these three men knew what this cloud meant.

This is the same cloud which had been withdrawn from Israel for centuries and had now appeared again.

These three men knew they were in the presence of Jehovah God.

God directs there attention away from Moses and Elijah because neither the Law nor the Prophets can make you acceptable to be in the presence of a Holy God.

Only the Lord Jesus Christ can do this thing!

The truth is God must be heard and He will be heard!

If Jehovah God said this is my Son, a third part of the Holy Trinity, then who are we to challenge Him!

Peter, James, and John could not hide their fear!

*Mat 17:6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.
Mat 17:7 And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid.
Mat 17:8 And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.

Jesus touched them, just as He will near the end of the Great Tribulation!
Jesus touched them, just as He will touch anyone who calls upon Him!

Just by the words of our Heavenly Father, we know that Jesus Christ is truly the Messiah come down from Heaven.

Just by the words of our Heavenly Father we know that the Lord Jesus is the Anointed One of God.

Then the Lord Jesus stood there alone because He alone is responsible for the Church.

Jesus came to die which was the discussion He had with Moses and Elijah.

As Christians we will experience the full Glory of God called the Shekinah Glory.

We will clearly hear the voice of God we can read what He has said now!

We will fall upon our faces in fear just as these disciples because we will realize just how unworthy we really are.

We will feel the Lord’s hand along with His personal touch and we will then live in His Glory all throughout eternity.

1Jn_3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

We should realize by now that though prayer, we can experience the presence of God today!

There was another lesson to be learned.

*Mat 17:9 And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.

We must understand these disciples did not yet have a clear meaning as to what the resurrection Jesus was talking about, they did not yet understand what Jesus meant and they would not until it happened.

Mar 9:10 And they kept that saying with themselves, questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean.

We are never clear on Godly things until we have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior and been filled with the Holy Spirit!

We must understand the response Jesus gave them.

What did the resurrection prove?

The resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ proved without a doubt that Jesus was indeed the Messiah the Son of God!
The resurrection of the Lord proved that the “transfiguration” actually happened and foreshadowed the beginning of the New Covenant!

It is not the Law that will get you Heaven.
It is not any prophet that will get you to Heaven.

It is only the Lord Jesus Christ who can get you to Heaven!

God said this is my Son!

So why must Elijah first come before the return of Christ Jesus?

*Mat 17:11 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.
Mat 17:12 But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.
Mat 17:13 Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.

Just what did the prophecy of Elijah say?

Mal 4:5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:
Mal 4:6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

These disciples had just seen Elijah in glory.

Certainly, their question was fair.

The land of Israel was still in darkness ruled by the tyrannical government of Rome.

There was no restoration, there was no turning of the hearts of the fathers nor the children.

The only thing they had seen was the rejection of God’s Messiah!

Joh 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
Joh 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

John the Baptist had surely come in the power and the spirit of Elijah.

John was that loud voice in the wilderness.

Reminds us that no matter what we do, one thing is sure we do not speak loud enough for the things of God.

The rejection of John the Baptist was the preclude to the rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ!

This still does not fulfill the prophecy of Malachi!

God’s Word must be accurate, and God’s prophets must speak of things to come.

Before the Lord returns in Glory, another forerunner, an Elijah, or the Elijah, will come and his testimony will not be rejected.

He will restore all things and he will be followed by King Jesus to set up His Kingdom!

He will come near the end of the Great Tribulation, the time of Jacob’s Trouble.

It is at this time that any Jewish believer and any stranger among them that believe are to reject all deceivers, and join the family of God.

Elijah will return to Israel because this prophecy is aimed at Israel!

Elijah will witness only to the remnant of the Children of Israel!

What is going on in the world at that time will be of no concern to Elijah!

He will accomplish what is written by the prophet Malachi!

The Church will already be in Heaven before this takes place!

Amen

LESSONS IN GOD'S WORD

Taking time to read the Bible

Book of Matthew

Eternal Victory

The Debt of Sin is Paid

A Savior Determined to Save

Obedient To the Will of God

The Second Coming of the Messiah

Opposition to the Truth of God

Preparing For The Cross

There Is A Costs For Being Like Christ

Jesus Begins to Instruct the Church

God Confirmed His Messiah

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